Chinese President Xi Jinping has not appeared in public since returning to China earlier than expected after attending the BRICS summit in New Delhi, leading to speculation about his health.
According to reports from the UK’s Independent and Newsweek on the 17th, Xi returned to China on the 13th after attending the 18th BRICS summit on the 12th and 13th, leaving before other leaders. He also did not attend the gala dinner following the summit and has not made any public appearances since his return.
This visit marked Xi's first trip to India in seven years. Although the schedule was originally set for the 12th and 13th, his actual stay lasted only about 24 hours, prompting speculation on social media regarding the reasons for his early departure.
Concerns about Xi's health were fueled by a video released during the summit. In the footage, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paused during his opening remarks to ask Xi, who was seated next to him, if he was “okay.” Staff members were also seen approaching Xi at that moment.
However, Chinese journalists later released a longer version of the video, clarifying that Modi's inquiry was related to an issue with the earphones used for real-time translation, not a health check on Xi.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that Xi successfully completed his schedule at the summit and left New Delhi on the afternoon of the 13th, without issuing any statements regarding his health.
Speculation about Xi's health has been further fueled by unverified claims from overseas dissidents. She Wanjun, a member of the Chinese Democratic Party residing in the U.S., alleged on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Xi collapsed during the summit and was urgently transported back to China. However, the Independent reported that there has been no official confirmation of this claim.
As speculation continues, attention is also focused on Xi's upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for the 24th. So far, the Chinese government has not announced any changes to this schedule. The Independent noted that concerns about Xi's health are growing ahead of the U.S.-China summit.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.