Xi Jinping's Really Strange Performance in the 3rd Session, Zhao Leji "suddenly fell ill."

The third session of the 14th National People's Congress, NPC of the Chinese Communist Party, CCP, concluded on the afternoon of March 11. The closing session was marked by several unusual occurrences. During the meeting, Xi Jinping appeared solemn, absent-minded and dazed, looking diagonally downward while constantly rubbing his hands, seemingly massaging his thighs. Previously, Xi had shown signs of an unsteady gait during multiple overseas visits, struggling to descend from planes and requiring assistance from handrails to stabilize himself. At the beginning of the closing session, Mr. Li Hongzhong, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, announced that Zhao Leiji, Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, would be absent due to a respiratory infection, and that he would preside over the session on Zhao's behalf. Zhao, 68, is the third-ranking member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, ranking only below Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. Zhao also missed the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, CPPCC, on March 10, marking the first time in nearly 20 years that a Politburo Standing Committee member has been absent from such an event. Analysts point out that, in the past, the health conditions of top CCP officials, including the President, General Secretary, Premier, and other Politburo Standing Committee members, were considered state secrets with no public disclosure of their illnesses. The public revelation of Zhao's health condition is, therefore, highly unusual. Zhao's illness appears to have been sudden as he presided over the NPC's opening session on March 5 and delivered a work report at the NPC session on March 8. Meanwhile, Wang Huning, Chairman of the CPPCC and a Politburo Standing Committee member, also drew attention during the two sessions. At the opening ceremony of the third session of the 14th CPPCC on March 4, netizens observed that Wang seemed to be breathing heavily during his speech. One comment noted that Wang appeared to have nasal issues and was gasping throughout his speech. However, Wang still attended and presided over the CPPCC closing session on March 10. CCTV footage showed that aside from Zhao Leiji's absence, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng were all seated on the podium. The respiratory issues of Wang Huning and Zhao Leiji have drawn attention to the ongoing influenza outbreak. Reports indicate that since late last year, China has experienced a major outbreak of what authorities claim is influenza A, H1N1, with a rising number of sudden deaths among young and middle-aged individuals, including prominent figures. However, independent commentator Kai Shengkun questioned the official explanation for Zhao Leiji's absence. Posting on the overseas social media platform X, he suggested that Xi Jinping has been indiscriminately purging Zhao's close associates, despite Zhao's high-ranking position as the third-ranking Politburo Standing Committee member and chairman of the NPC. If Zhao cannot even protect his own people and has lost his basic dignity, his public absence from the two sessions could signal an escalation in internal power struggles, potentially reaching a life-or-death level. Observers widely believe that Zhao is not part of Xi's faction, but rather a loyalist of Jiang Zemin and Zheng Qinghong. Since 2023, several of Zhao's former subordinates, both from his tenure as Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and as Party Secretary of Qinghai, have been investigated, fueling speculation about the his political standing. Additional signs from the two sessions have sparked concerns about internal CCP power struggles. On March 7, Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, presided over a meeting of the NPC delegation from the military and the People's Armed Police. CCTV footage showed the presence of Li Xiaoming, the former army commander, who had been rumored to be under investigation since late 2024. On March 10, the Taiwanese media outlet Newtalk reported that Li's appearance had led to speculation about Xi Jinping's weakening control over the military. The report noted that Li Xiaoming was previously seen as a close associate of Zhang Youxia, as both shared an army background and had crossed paths during the Sino-Vietnamese War, later maintaining close ties in the Shen Yun military region. This shift has lent credibility to claims that military power is tilting in Zhang's favor. The report further stated that since the third plenary session in July 2024, signs of Xi Jinping's weakening authority have become increasingly apparent, with significant personnel reshuffles in military leadership. Xi's loyalists have been progressively sidelined, while Zhang Youxia has continued to expand his influence since the military reforms, consolidating a strong support network within the army. As corruption scandals engulf the rocket force and the equipment department, Xi's grip on the military has significantly weakened, while Zhang Youxia has steadily gained greater control. In addition to Li Xiaoming's unexpected appearance, observers have also noted the unexplained disappearances of several senior Chinese Communist Party officials, including Yuan Huazhi, the political commissar of the navy and a member of the National People's Congress, Wang Chunying, commander of the armed police force, Luo Qi, chief engineer of China National Nuclear Corporation, and Xu Dazhi, the former secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee who came from the aerospace sector. According to a recent report by the Financial Times, the number of Chinese military delegates attending the two has decreased from 281 in 2023 to 267 in 2024, with 14 officials removed due to corruption investigations. However, Chinese Communist Party authorities have not made any public announcements regarding their whereabouts. Independent commentator Du Zheng wrote in Xiongbao that in recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has handled some senior officials without public disclosure. Many were dealt with internally, and some were even executed in secret. Du Zheng pointed out that this practice is nothing new in CCP history. From party purges and rectification to hunting traitors and suppressing the AB Group, violent terror has always been a means for the CCP to consolidate the top leader's dictatorship. Under Xi Jinping, such operations have become even more opaque. The article cited a 2016 case where Japanese scholar Suzuki Hideji was arrested in Beijing for espionage. After his release and return to Japan in 2022, he revealed that while in prison, he heard rumors that the Chinese ambassador to Ireland had been secretly sentenced to death for espionage. He also mentioned that Tang Benyuan, a former counselor at the Chinese embassy in Japan who had been in contact with him, was arrested and has since disappeared, with speculation that he was likely executed. Suzuki stated that CCP espionage trials and outcomes are never made public. Zhou Guoguang, a former department-level official, also revealed in the US that a Central Military Commission official once mentioned in a party class that many officials were sentenced to death annually, but such cases were never disclosed. The report also highlighted the In July 2024, an official announcement stated that he had resigned from his CPC Central Committee and National People's Congress positions, but his whereabouts remained unknown. Rumors ranged from an extramarital affair and a spy case to speculation that he had died. Wen Zhao, a Canada-based cultural scholar and independent media commentator, noted that the number of purged CCP officials is likely far higher than estimated. Public records show that from 2012 to 2024, 6 million party members were investigated and punished in the anti-corruption campaign. However, if those who disappeared without public records are counted, the actual number is likely much higher. Wen Zhao specifically noted that during Mao Zedong's era, persecution involved instigating and coercing ordinary people into participating in crimes. In contrast, under Xi Jinping, a Soviet-style purge has been carried out within the system, characterized by focusing resentment on individual leaders and specific executive agencies. As a result, this type of purge is more likely to create instability within the political system. Moreover, for those who take over power, simply denouncing their predecessors allows them to gain support from the current elite. Wen Zhao noted that Xi Jinping's purge, like Mao Zedong's rule, is defined by its longevity. Since taking power in 2013, Xi has ruled for 12 years, during which ordinary citizens have faced economic decline, harsh poverty eradication, and falling incomes. However, for fallen elites, this period has been catastrophic, worse than for the general public. Unlike the Soviet Great Purge, which ended in just over two years, Xi's prolonged purge has left the public disengaged, with no personal stake in defending the system. If it collapses, mass resistance is unlikely. Meanwhile, disillusioned elites, stripped of long-standing agreements, have grown resentful and lost the will to defend the regime. As a result, Xi's CCP is more unstable than under Mao, and even more fragile than Stalin's Soviet Union. We will keep reporting on the Covid surge in China, so don't forget to subscribe to our channel and turn on the notification bell to get the latest videos. And thank you for tuning in.