China has issued the first comments attributed to president-in-waiting Xi Jinping since his disappearance from the public eye in nearly two weeks amid growing speculation as to his health.
Vice President Xi has not been seen in public for 13 days and has cancelled meetings with four foreign dignitaries including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Mr Xi, who has skipped meetings with four visiting foreign leaders in the past week, was cited by state media on Thursday as expressing condolences to the family of a veteran Communist Party official who died.
However there has been no public sighting or new photograph of the 59-year-old, who is expected to succeed President Hu Jintao as the leader of the ruling Communist Party.
Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei says preparations for the 18th Communist Party Congress, where Mr Xi is expected to be named party leader, were well under way.
