Rumors that Chinese President Xi Jinping suffered a stroke have gone viral on Russian social media, causing a stir and leading to various speculative reports.
The incident was alleged to have occurred during the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) Third Plenary Session, which ran from Monday to Thursday. The meetings, attended by top party leadership, are widely anticipated by China analysts for signs of policy changes that could set the direction of the country's development.
The rumor gained traction on Wednesday when it was reported on by Jennifer Zeng, a human rights activist formerly with the Falun Gong-backed, anti-CCP news outlet The Epoch Times, on her show "Inconvenient Truths by Jennifer Zeng."
"Since yesterday, Chinese social media has been buzzing with the news that something 'big' has happened," Zeng wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Chinese and Russian foreign ministries did not immediately respond to written requests for comment.
Russian news agency RuNews24 amplified the rumors with a headline reading, "There is a tragedy in China: the life of Chinese leader Xi Jinping hangs by a thread." Another Russian outlet, Hibiny, reported, "Chinese leader Xi Jinping suffered a stroke," adding "he is on the verge of death" and "doctors are now fighting for his life."
Both sources acknowledged the lack of concrete information and noted the lack of an official Chinese response.
The rumors were also circulated by Ukrainian media.
Kyiv-based outlet Channel 24 cited political scientist Oleksiy Buriachenko, who said that, if Xi were indeed ill, it could impact the prospects of a ceasefire in the Russo-Ukrainian war. "Neither Donald Trump and the Republicans, nor Joseph Biden and the Democrats need destabilization in the Chinese direction," Buriachenko added.
Xi has been positioning China as a neutral player in future peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, Beijing has been criticized for censoring anti-war criticism of Moscow on Chinese social media, with Chinese drones and electronic components aiding the Russian war effort.
China did not send a representative to peace talks held in Switzerland last month, citing Russia's lack of an invitation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused China of actively working to convince other countries not to attend the summit, which he had lobbied the international community to join.
In a separate X post on Thursday, Zheng defended herself against accusations of spreading false information, saying that she had clearly framed the reports as rumors.
This is not the first time speculation about Xi's health has surfaced. In 2022, rumors circulated that he had been hospitalized, possibly due to an aneurysm. Similar ones have emerged periodically, often around significant political events.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
