Chinese state media has denied as
"pure rumour" internet and media reports that former leader Jiang Zemin has
died.
The denial was carried by the Xinhua news agency, quoting "authoritative
sources", after days of speculation about the 84-year-old's health.
The rumours were sparked after Mr Jiang failed to appear at a key Communist
Party event on Friday.
Web users say censors have been blocking searches for Mr Jiang's name in
recent days.
Internet searches for Mr Jiang's name have returned a warning the search is
illegal.
The word "jiang" also means river, so searches for that word have also
returned the same warning.
The censorship has prompted people to create cryptic postings about the man
who led China for a dozen years.
Web censors have deleted domestic blog posts about Mr Jiang and blocked
foreign media reports about his state of health.
References to him have also been removed from the country's Weibo
microblogging service.
In an attempt to circumvent the censors, online users are posting entries
with English variations and alternative names.
Though there have been no reports about Jiang Zemin on mainland China, media
sources in Hong Kong reported his death on Wednesday night, citing unidentified
sources.
It is believed Mr Jiang is currently being treated at a military hospital in
Beijing.
Mr Jiang rose to power after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
He led China through the 1990s, when he helped bolster the nation's
international image and presided over an economic boom.
He transferred his power and positions to President Hu Jintao between 2002
and 2004.
