Former President Hu Jintao, standing in the center, forced to leave the closing ceremony of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China under the impassive gaze of Xi Jinping. /
Strange and tense incident at the closing of the conclave, in which Xi Jinping has ordered that his predecessor be taken away, who has resisted in disbelief for a minute
After a week of closed-door meetings inside an anti-Covid bubble, the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China concluded this Saturday, crowning Xi Jinping as the most powerful leader since Mao. In addition to approving the amendments to the Party statutes that Xi himself had promoted, the conclave has left a moment in history that will give much to talk about: the forced departure of the previous president, Hu Jintao.
The incident, strange and full of tension, took place just as the doors had just opened for journalists and cameras, who had been waiting for more than an hour at the Great Hall of the People. At that time, Xi Jinping has ordered a beadle to take away Hu Jintao, who was sitting to the left of him and whose health seems very poor at 79 years of age.
Behind him, two porters have lifted him from his chair, but Hu has been reluctant to leave. For a minute, in which a beadle held his arm and indicated his exit, the former president has tried to sit down again to stay in the meeting, in which the reforms proposed by Xi Jinping were going to be voted on. In fact, he has even asked him directly to stay and both have given each other a look that says it all: while Hu Jintao looked at him in astonishment, surprised at having to leave, Xi Jinping looked at him condescendingly, never losing his composure but without giving in to their pleas.
Within this unusual moment, another very striking detail has occurred. When the president of the National Assembly and number three of the regime, Li Zhanshu, tried to intercede for Hu Jintao, the number five and ideologue of propaganda, Wang Huning, pulled the back of his jacket so that he would not interfere. . In the front row of the podium, the entire Party leadership has remained impassive while Hu tried to stay in the room.
Finally, and dragged by the beadles, he has had to leave. But, before leaving, he said something to Xi Jinping, who did not flinch and continued to stare straight ahead. Next, Hu Jintao put his hand on the shoulder of Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who a decade ago was his favorite to succeed him as president but ultimately fell behind Xi Jinping.
Due to the tension of the episode and the presence of cameras from China and from around the world, it could be a public purge before the almost 2,300 delegates of the Communist Party gathered in the Great Hall of the People. While analysts and experts try to find out what exactly has happened, some official press reporters commented that Hu’s departure was because his health is poor and he was unwell.
After his departure, all the delegates have raised their arms in favor of the proposed amendments and there has been not a single vote against. To the sound of “The Internationale”, Xi Jinping has been crowned the most powerful president since Mao and with an empty chair next to him symbolizing his absolute power in China.