JD.com founder Richard Liu a no-show at China’s biggest political event despite being elected a delegate last year

Richard Liu Qiangdong, the founder of China’s second largest e-commerce player JD.com, was a conspicuous no-show at the country’s largest political event of the year this week.

The Two Sessions meetings – comprising the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s top legislature, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the government’s political advisory body – include delegates from the country’s technology giants.

The tech billionaires who make up the ranks of the NPC and CPPCC are among the most sought-after delegates by local media at a time when Beijing has stepped up its push on technology and innovation amid the slowest economic growth in almost three decades. Baidu founder and chief executive Robin Li Yanhong and Tencent Holdings co-founder and chief executive Pony Ma Huateng submitted separate proposals on Sunday on the need for ethical guidelines for the development of new technology, while Xiaomi founder and chief executive Lei Jun proposed the establishment of new laws for 5G technology.

In a statement late on Wednesday, Nasdaq-listed JD.com said Liu had applied for a leave of absence from the Two Sessions meetings. It declined to provide the reason for Liu’s absence. “He submitted written applications in advance and was granted leave,” the company said.

The absence of Liu was initially confirmed by Li Changjin, the deputy head of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, who is in the same delegation as the JD.com chief executive. Li, who led a panel discussion on the Chinese government work report on Wednesday, told reporters on the sidelines that Liu “had applied for leave [of absence] for the entire Two Sessions”, adding that he did not know the reason given for Liu's absence.

There are strict rules on delegates asking for leave from the Two Sessions, according to a document published on the official website of the National Committee of the CPPCC. They must submit written applications in advance and need to state reasons for the absence before being granted leave. There have been 24 absentee CPPCC delegates so far this year, according to state-run media People.com. The expected attendance was 2,157 while actual attendance was 2,133.