Hu Liren predicts that, given the deterioration of Xi Jinping's health and the enormous pressure from opposition forces within the military and the Party, Xi Jinping will step down from all his posts no later than October 2027 at the 21st Party Congress.
In his September 23, 2026 program, Hu Liren inferred that Xi Jinping had suffered a minor stroke, based on signs such as his stiff left hand and the swelling on the back of his hand as he disembarked at Andrews Air Force Base.
After experiencing health risks, Xi Jinping returned to the public eye on September 21 following his illness and immediately chaired a Politburo Standing Committee meeting. The meeting set the tone for comprehensive vetting and cracking down on potential dissidents and opposition forces within the party through ideological struggle and political line purges, aiming to prevent political turmoil triggered by sudden health crises.
According to Hu Liren, host of Real China, Xi Jinping had not appeared in public for the previous seven days because he suffered a sudden mild stroke and received about seven days of intensive drug treatment in his hospital bed to dissolve a blood clot; his medical team may have recommended three months of rest.
On September 19, The Wall Street Journal reported that Xi Jinping temporarily cancelled his attendance at the BRICS summit banquet held in New Delhi, India on September 12 due to physical discomfort, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi attending on his behalf. Official Beijing has not provided an explanation for the absence, prompting outside concerns regarding his health status and power succession, though currently there is no evidence indicating he is seriously ill.
Online reports claim that after flying from India to Beijing Capital International Airport, Xi Jinping was carried off the plane and immediately taken away, possibly to 301 Hospital. Together with the authorities' failure to release any footage of him disembarking, this claim has become a basis for outside speculation about his health.
Russian television released a video attempting to show that Xi Jinping was in normal condition during his meeting with Modi in India; some commentators said the video was doctored and pieced together, which instead deepened speculation that Xi suffered a stroke.
When Xi Jinping finished his trip to India and boarded his plane to leave, he was observed to be unable to swing his left arm, with his shoulder twisted and his pace noticeably slow, clearly different from the movements of those accompanying him, sparking outside speculation about his health condition.
Footage of Xi Jinping returning to Beijing from India shows him descending the aircraft stairs with his body leaning to the left, his left arm hanging naturally without swinging, only his right arm swinging and waving, and walking slowly and with difficulty. The footage has circulated online and is being cited as one of the grounds for discussion about his health.
On the evening of September 13, 2026, Xi Jinping left New Delhi after the BRICS Summit. When boarding the plane, he had no jet bridge assistance and walked up the airstairs on foot; the process was very strenuous, inconsistent with the physical condition of someone in his seventies.
During his opening address at the BRICS summit in New Delhi, India, Prime Minister Modi suddenly turned and asked Xi Jinping how he was feeling. The hall fell silent for 16 seconds, sparking speculation abroad about Xi Jinping's physical condition.
The video claims that Xi Jinping walked slowly during his visit to India, that Modi asked about his condition twice, that he did not attend the banquet and returned to Beijing early, and that upon his return there was no welcome ceremony or press release, sparking outside speculation about his health.
The video claims that news came out of Beijing that Xi Jinping was carried off the plane on a stretcher after returning to Beijing from India and could no longer walk normally; this claim has not been officially confirmed.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Foreign Ministry, when asked by reporters whether Xi Jinping would attend the BRICS meeting around September 12, responded, “We will speak when there is news, it is not convenient to answer,” implying that Xi Jinping may not travel to India.
The video points out that Xi Jinping has not appeared in public for four consecutive days (96 hours), sparking speculation about his health and the political situation. Media reports are filled with false information such as "Xi Jinping congratulates," while the absence of his name in official media has intensified outside suspicion. Meanwhile, Cai Qi, who has close ties to Xi, has also not appeared, deepening concerns about Xi's health and suggesting that the CCP regime is like a powder keg; any issues with the top leader could trigger turmoil among various factions.