Social media is abuzz with rumours of a coup in China claiming that the country’s president Xi Jinping has been deposed. The speculations sparked after several reports claimed that Jinping went missing from public eye following his return from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Uzbekistan - his first official foreign visit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, no officials from China’s Communist Party or the state media have said anything about the rumours. Instead, their social media handles show work as usual in the country ahead of the party's five-yearly congress which is set to begin on October 16 where Jinping is poised to secure a historic third term that will cement his place as China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Meanwhile, some wonder if Xi Jinping is under house arrest.
Soon after Jinping’s outing at SCO in Samarkand, speculations are rife that the president in kept under house arrest. However, these claims have been dismissed by experts saying that there is a strong possibility that the Chinese premier is under quarantine owing to the country’s rigid zero-Covid policy that mandates every individual who enters China from abroad to undergo quarantine, reported Hindustan Times.
Ultimately, the question remains, what has been going on in China for the past one week?
Recently, two former ministers were sentenced to death and four officials were sent to life in jail in China and the Communist Party continued its anti-corruption campaign strongly initiated by Xi Jinping.
The removal of officials said to be opponents of Xi, is an indication of his influence on the party and China at large.
Image Source: Instagram/xi__jinping__