The great wall

The date for that event has also been left vague,and this mystery over Xi comes at a time when the entire party leadership has been rattled by the Bo Xilai scandal. He may indeed be out of sight for an entirely banal reason,but it assumes greater drama because of Chinas entrenched protocols of secrecy. The communist partys deliberate uncommunicativeness has historically created a fog of conjecture and speculation. This information control is what makes China so supremely confusing to the rest of the world. There is a gulf of misunderstanding between China and its neighbours as well as the West,who are rarely given an insight into the rationale behind its moves.

Matters about the party elite are especially opaque,even to the Chinese public. For instance,when Mao Zedongs protege and challenger Lin Biao disappeared en route to the Soviet Union,in a plane crash over Mongolia,the official explanation was unconvincing even then. Chinas own history is bewildering and evasively told to its citizens the shaping circumstances of events like the Great Leap Forward or the Cultural Revolution have not been opened up to inquiry. The tantalising question brought up by Xi Jinpings absence,though,is: how long can China sustain this culture of opacity?

Curated For You

India Women vs Sri Lanka Women 5th T20I Highlights: IND defeat SL by 15 runs, complete 5-0 series whitewash

Pune sees coldest year-end mornings since 2018, minimum temperature to hover around 10 degree Celsius on New Year

Do I need to choose my friends based on religion?: Woman after vigilantes disrupt her birthday at Bareilly cafe