WORLD : Chinese President in Hospital
Chinese President Yang Shangkun is in the hospital with acute appendicitis, the official New China News Agency said today.
The 83-year-old president failed to attend a welcoming ceremony for President Hissene Habre of Chad, it said, adding that Vice President Wang Zhen took his place.
The agency did not describe Yang’s condition, saying only that he entered the hospital Monday.
A Latin American diplomat said he had been told by Wang that the president had had surgery and that he was in good condition.
Yang, a military strongman, has been closely linked to the decision to impose martial law in Beijing last May. He appeared beside hard-line Premier Li Peng to defend the decision.
Yang had seemed to enjoy the best health of China’s older generation of leaders. He made an 18-day tour of five Latin American countries last month, traveling with his personal doctor.
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