China’s Vice-President Xi Jinping made his first public appearance in two weeks yesterday following swirling speculation about the whereabouts of Beijing’s leader-in-waiting.

Xi looked relaxed in television pictures which showed him visiting a university – his first public outing since intense speculation about his health surfaced after he cancelled meetings with four foreign dignitaries this month, including visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

He was accompanied by a trio of top party bosses for his visit to China Agricultural University in Beijing for “activities marking this year’s National Science Popularisation Day”, state-run Xinhua said.

Xi was joined by Liu Yunshan, head of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee, Li Yuanchao, head of the party’s powerful Organisation Department which appoints and controls personnel at every level of government and industry, and state councillor Liu Yandong, the news agency said.