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 BEIJING (AP) - In just six months, China's apparent heir to the leadership has vaulted from Shanghai boss to a spot in the ruling Communist Party's inner sanctum and an unusually visible role overseeing preparations for the Olympic Games.
Xi Jinping has met visiting foreign statesmen and has been shown on television inspecting Olympic venues and consoling people caught in central China's winter storms — publicity that counters the normally low-key role assumed by past leaders-in-waiting.
On Saturday, Xi takes another step toward cementing his status as China's future president and party chief, when the communist-dominated legislature is expected to appoint him vice president, a largely ceremonial role.
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