The rumours of Xi Jinping stepping down from the post started after a meeting of the party politburo standing committee, the leadership group that rules China.
Amid reports claiming that Xi Jinping suffering is suffering from ‘cerebral aneurysm’, Chinese social media is buzzing with speculations that the President might step down from his position. Rumours suggest that the Chinese President has been asked to abdicate the position following “mismanagement of the stringent COVID-19 lockdowns accompanied by the economic slump” in the country.
Notably, Xi Jinping had skipped meetings with foreign leaders ever since the outbreak of COVID-19 till the Beijing Winter Olympics. Even in a 2020 public speech in Shenzhen, his late appearance, slow speech, and coughing spree raised a few eyebrows, suspecting his ill health. As per multiple unconfirmed reports, cited by news agency ANI, the 68-year-old was hospitalized at the end of 2021 and preferred to be treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rather than surgery to soften the blood vessels and shrink his aneurysms.
Xi Jinping to step down?
The rumours of Xi Jinping stepping down from the post gained mileage after a meeting of the party politburo standing committee– the collective leadership group that rules China.
Speculations coursed through social media after a video made by a Canadian-based blogger claimed that until a major party meeting was organized in the latter part of the year, Xi would be forced to step aside from the Chinese Communist Party. The current Premier Li Keqiang will be assuming the place on Jinping’s behalf to take over daily management of the party and government, he claimed. The blogger’s claims spread like wildfire after China censored the video.
COVID-19 management a cause of discontentment in China?
To control the outbreak, stringent clampdowns had been repeatedly ordered by the Xi administration on cities of millions. These, in turn, hampered businesses across the country. As a ripple effect, the restrictions put a stop to industrial production resulting in the disruption of the supply chains for the first time.
The manufacturing activity witnessed a steady decline, reaching its lowest since February 2020, and with this, the yuan currency of China dipped by over 4 percent, the biggest monthly drop in 28 years in April 2022. As per a senior Chinese official, the pandemic turned out to be a ‘stumbling block’ for economic and social development. Reportedly, all these reasons caused widespread discontentment in China and people began losing faith in Xi’s governance which is riddled with tough crakdowns, but botched mangaement.
Reports suggesting his ouster come mere months ahead of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in November 2022– an event that will shake up the top echelon of Chinese politics. Held every 5 years, major leadership changes are expected to be announced here.