By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-12 12:56:39 | Updated at 2025-03-12 17:54:35
5 hours ago
China’s third most senior official Zhao Leji has reappeared in public after missing the end of the country’s main political event due to ill health.
Zhao, the chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC), met state media employees in Beijing on Wednesday to thank them for their coverage of the annual legislative session.
Zhao, 68, missed Tuesday’s NPC closing ceremony because of a respiratory tract infection and left his deputy, Li Hongzhong, to preside over the event instead. He also missed Monday’s closing ceremony for the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
It was the first time in decades that the NPC closing meeting was not attended by all members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party’s top leadership group.
In footage of Wednesday’s meeting aired on state broadcaster CCTV, Zhao appeared energetic, delivering speeches and interacting comfortably with participants.
He hosted a similar gathering in the previous two years. CPPCC chair Wang Huning also held similar meetings with the media yesterday.
