September 13, 2012 Off-Script Scramble for Power in a Chinese Leader’s Absence By IAN JOHNSON and JONATHAN ANSFIELD BEIJING — With still no sign of China’s designated new leader, Xi Jinping, who has not been seen in public since Sept. 1, many insiders and well-connected analysts say the Chinese political ship is adrift, with factions jockeying to shape an impending Communist Party conclave. The government has maintained its official silence about Mr. Xi’s absence. After an initial burst of chatter, blog posts alluding to Mr. Xi have been effectively smothered on China’s social media platforms, and China’s beleaguered Foreign Ministry...