Xi Jinping is alive! Well, mentioned by state media

China's presumptive new leader Xi Jinping has not appeared publically in 13 days, but on Thursday, Chinese state media mentioned the vice president by name.

After Huang Rong, a former general, died last week, aged 102, Chinese President Hu Jintao and other high-ranking officials offered their "condolences."

"After the passing of Comrade Huang Rong, Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping, Li Yuanchao, Zhu Rongji and Li Zhaozhuo expressed their condolences and conveyed their deep sympathies to his family," the Communist Party organ Guangxi Daily said.

The public mention of Xi's name is unlikely to quell the world's speculation about why this one man, likely to become one of the world's most powerful leaders, suddenly disappeared.

And why has the Chinese government not said anything about this bizarre turn of events?

Xi has missed a number of important meetings with international leaders, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was slated to meet the Xi last week.

The current running theory is that an unexpected health problem has put Xi in hiding.

As the Telegraph points out, "China's top leaders live and work in isolation and only release information about leading personnel that has been carefully moulded for positive effect."

Chinese officials have declined the answer the media's questions on the health and whereabouts of Xi.