Xi Jinping cancels meeting with Hillary Clinton in surprise move
Rumours are the vice-president hurt his back as he also cancels a meeting with Singapore's PM
Vice-President Xi Jinping yesterday cancelled a number of meetings at short notice, chief among them being talks with visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Beijing did not say why the meetings were called off, only describing it as a "normal change of schedule".
Rumours are rife that the 59-year-old heir apparent to President Hu Jintao has injured his back.
"We were informed after 11pm last night by the Chinese side that for unexpected scheduling reasons, the meeting between Vice-President Xi and Secretary Clinton is not going to happen today," a US official was quoted as telling Agence France-Presse. "We understand from the Chinese side that Vice-President Xi's meetings with the prime minister of Singapore and a Russian official have also been cancelled today."
Shi Yinhong, an expert in US affairs at Renmin University, said the cancellations were unusual.
"It has rarely or never happened over the past four decades. It is unprecedented," he said, adding that tensions between China and the United States in recent months could be behind the move.
"State media criticised Clinton before her arrival in Beijing," Shi said. "It is very rare for Chinese media to make such criticisms ahead of the visit of senior overseas officials."
Beijing tried to play down the cancellation of the meetings. At a press conference after talks between Clinton and Hu, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said: "We hope people will not indulge in unnecessary speculation.
"We pay high regard to Clinton's visit."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a press conference later: "This is a normal adjustment of itinerary. We have reached consensus with both the US and the Singaporean side."
A Beijing-based state media source said he had heard that Xi had strained a muscle in a soccer match with staff at the Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing.
Searches for "back injury" were blocked on the mainland's largest microblogging service yesterday.
A meeting with Vice-Premier Li Keqiang was arranged for Clinton after the cancellation.
Additional reporting by Choi Chi-yuk