The case of a Chinese official from the southwest city of Chongqing visiting a US consulate is an "isolated incident", a senior diplomat said on Thursday, as rumours spread that the official may have sought asylum at the consulate.
The diplomat, Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai, said the incident would not affect a visit to the US by Vice-President Xi Jinping to the United States next week.
"I said that this issue was resolved and was resolved quite smoothly," Cui said at a news briefing in Beijing ahead of Xi's trip.
Wang Lijun, who is also the municipality's deputy mayor, took sick leave for overwork, the government said on Wednesday, casting a shadow on the political prospects of Bo Xilai, the ambitious chief of Chongqing. Wang's abrupt move after years of serving Bo fanned rumours that Wang may have sought refuge in the US consulate in Chengdu, several hours' drive from Chongqing, after a falling out amid a corruption probe.
In Washington, the US State Department confirmed that Wang had visited the Chengdu consulate earlier in the week, but said that he had left the premises on his own accord. Cui said he had not seen the report about what the State Department said of the Chengdu consulate matter. He added: "But what happened two days ago was an extremely isolated case, and it has already been resolved. It has nothing to do with the
visit by Vice President Xi."
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