Luo Jing, one of China Central Television's (CCTV) leading presenters. [File Photo]

China Central Television's leading presenter Luo Jing, who has not been seen on daily news broadcasts recently, has admitted his illness to the media for the first time, the Chongqing Evening News reported on Thursday.

The news was broken after a netizen posted an online message on Wednesday, claiming the veteran host was suffering from cancer and is currently undergoing hospital tests.

Sources say that Luo Jing was admitted to the Beijing Tumor Hospital for treatment.

Luo Jing was contacted by the newspaper and confirmed his poor health. However he denied rumors that he had undergone a medical procedure. He has since been discharged from hospital.

He expressed his deep appreciation for people's concerns and assured the newspaper that his illness is not as serious as first thought. Quite upbeat on the telephone, the host expressed full confidence in modern medical technologies and said he required no operation or further hospital treatment.

Luo Jing said he will now receive transfusions and stay at home. He plans to return to television after two or three months' recuperation.

The newsman last appeared on-air on August 31st this year.

Luo Jing, a popular presenter with Chinese audiences, co-anchored CCTV's national news program "Xinwen Lianbo", or News Broadcast, for the past twenty years. The program has been broadcast at 7 PM every evening for the last 30 years in China.

(CRI September 12, 2008)