Why China’s ex-leader was escorted out of Communist Party congress - BBC News

China’s former leader Hu Jintao was led out of the Communist Party congress in Beijing, shortly after reporters were allowed in.

The unexpected moment led to intense speculation.

Chinese state media reported that Hu Jintao "was not feeling well" during the session and was taken to a meeting room "for a rest".

Some have questioned this explanation.

#China #BBCNews

[markphc]

The creepiest thing is the total impassiveness of the politician's faces as he was led away

[daoudtowers]

"In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends".
- Martin Luther King

[eugeniawong]

I was living in HK during President Hu’s tenure and I’ll say that he never forced HK into whatever it is right now. I always have respect for him. It’s quite a shock for me to see what has become of him. He looks like he aged 20 years in the past 5 years

[nicobruin]

This is why, in authoritarian political systems, you can never afford to lose power.
If you're not the one doing the purging, you're at risk of getting purged. Especially if you're a significant figure who does not have the present leader to thank for his career.

[ajoajoajoaj]

"He was not feeling well... Now, he is much better."

Absolutely bonechilling. An obvious Orwellian euphemism to be interpreted either at face value or as a warning, depending on whose ears it's intended for.

[davidsolomon]

I hope Xi remembers the moment well as he can relive it when his time comes

[lyxnick]

The fact that nobody else bats an eyelid is kinda chilling.

[lukasli]

One of the saddest moment of my life, as I grow up and went to college during the Hu era with so much hope and optimism toward this country's future. Bit by bit, it was shredded in the last ten years.

[rcisneros]

The way the other politicians don't move but carefully watch with their eyes tells you something bad is happening.

[Joseph-lzer]

Feels like a scene from a mafia movie when one of the leaders of the mafia family disagrees with a policy during a meeting.

[matthewpotter]

Image and symbolism is everything to them. This was no accident. Carefully choreographed for the world’s media to see.

[Nikqogregg]

They did it on purpose to make their current leader look strong

[redactedredacted]

I'm glad they let Hu know he wasn't feeling well. He's a 80 yr old man. Sometimes he forgets.

[MCorpReview]

There’s a Chinese parable about how the father and son carried the grandpa to remote mountain 🏔️ to desert him. When the father was going to throw away the carriage, the son said pls don’t I’ll save it for your turn.
What goes around comes around 😂

[pedroloco]

“ he wasn’t feeling well, but now he’s feeling much better “, has he been seen since this statement was made?

[raidenwolfe]

Our leaders everywhere have gone completely mad and they act as though we don't know what's going on..I'm afraid for all of us 😪

[nekochen]

The most chilling fact is in the full video when Hu Jintao is about to get escorted out of his chair, to his left, Li Zhanshu wanted to help the old man as any normal human being would, Mr. Li got up halfway to try to help Hu Jintao get out of his chair, but to Mr. Li's left Wang Huning pulled on Mr. Li's jacket telling him to sit back down, don't draw anymore attention to yourself, all the while Present Xi Jinping is making a sour facial expression. Mr. Li awkwardly sat back down, gathered the documents infront of Hu Jintao and looked like he whispered "Don't look at it, Don't look at it", Mr. Wang also looked like he whispered the same words. As Hu Jintao gets escorted away, no one dared to make any eye contact or glanced his way. Hu Jintao advocated political reform, brought forth China's 10 years of golden period, forged a strong relationship with the West, and this is how his story ends.

[didierduplantier]

Pooh wanted him out because he was going to vote against changing their constitution since Pooh broke the deal he had with Hu and kicked all of Hu’s people out of the Politburo. Notice how they didn’t want him to look at the contents in the red folder thus discovering Pooh’s duplicity

[kenfc]

Hu Jintao was not feeling well as reported by the Chinese government but now Mr. Hu is in a better place.

[darrell]

It's like a mobster realizing that his own family has just marked him for a hit.