The possibility of Chinese President Xi Jinping being placed under house arrest has gone viral online. Social media articles claim that Xi Jinping has been placed under house arrest and has been demoted from his position as leader of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
State media and the nation’s ruling Chinese Communist Party have not yet provided official confirmation.
Recently, Xi Jinping traveled to Uzbekistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, where he met with a number of other leaders of the state. He also had his first face-to-face encounter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi since border disputes in 2020 soured relations between India and China.
Currently, there were several tweets about Xi’s apparent home imprisonment. Some even asserted that this was a military takeover and that PLA vehicles had already begun to move in Beijing’s direction.
Unverified reports about no commercial flights flying over Beijing today can also be found on Twitter.
Some analysts on China contend that aside from the social media discussion, there is still no indication of a coup.
China specialist Aadil Brar suggested that Xi Jinping might be in quarantine after arriving from Uzbekistan, which would account for his absence from public affairs.
The rumors of Xi Jinping’s home arrest follow China’s execution of two former ministers earlier this week. According to reports, the two ministers and four other officials who received life sentences are members of a political party.
Prior to a political gathering next month, where President Xi Jinping is anticipated to win a historic third term, China is waging an anti-corruption drive.
News Mania Desk
