What was a leading Chinese politician doing in Mallorca?

On the island for only a few hours

Li Xi at Bellver Castle. | Youtube Última Hora

Andrew EdePalma14/09/2023 16:56

Mystery surrounded a visit to Mallorca on Thursday by Li Xi, the seventh-ranking member of the politburo standing committee of the Chinese Communist Party. He is the secretary of the central commission for 'discipline inspection'.

Chinese government Airbus in Palma, Mallorca

A Chinese government Airbus landed in Palma around 2pm, it having come from Beijing. There were exceptional security measures and he travelled with a large entourage. The plane left at 6.40pm. Sources suggested that the visit was purely private and that no official meetings had been planned.

It was reported earlier this week that he would be meeting the mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, and that he would be visiting Bellver Castle in Palma and the Charterhouse in Valldemossa.

The report was accurate, with the exception of the meeting with Martínez. Li Xi, in a delegation of 73, went to the Charterhouse, where he met the mayor of Valldemossa, Nadal Torres. Gifts were exchanged, and Li Xi told the mayor that his was "a very beautiful village". "We invest a lot of effort in preserving it," replied the mayor.

Li Xi at Bellver Castle in Palma, Mallorca