𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to pause during his opening remarks at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi as a commotion broke out to his left.

The Indian leader asked, “Is it OK?” as aides appeared to rush to the side of Chinese President Xi Jinping. As per local media, Modi had noticed Chinese President Xi Jinping “looking uncomfortable”.

It may have been a brief moment, but it was enough to raise questions both in China and throughout the rest of the world. Commentators have been weighing in online ever since, questioning the Chinese leader’s health.

After the incident, China critic Jennifer Zeng cited a former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official in her claims that “Xi Jinping is suffering from cerebellar atrophy”.

“It is a difficult condition to deal with, because unlike problems with some other organs, the cerebellum cannot simply be replaced through a transplant.

“Judging from various signs, it seems quite possible that Xi Jinping is indeed experiencing health problems.”

American author, lawyer, and political commentator Gordon G. Chang, known for his long-standing criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), added: “Xi Jinping is not well. This time, China could not hide his condition.”

After the incident, Xi left the summit early.

Bill Gertz, the Washington Times national security correspondent and a long-standing expert on China, wrote on X: “Rumors are flying in China over Xi Jinping begin taken ill during his visit to India. They include claims that he suffered a minor illness to experiencing a stroke worsened by by failure to treat early.

“Some wild claims say rival group armies are mobilizing for civil war. No confirmation but Treasury Sec Bessent is meeting with Chinese counterparts today and we’ll see if the summit for Sept. 24 is still on.”

Xie Wanjun is a United States-based Chinese political activist and the chairman of the China Democracy Party.

Chinese political activist Xie Wanjun, who was an active student participant during the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 and now-chairman of the China Democracy Party, said: “Before the BRICS summit even concluded, Xi Jinping ended his visit to India and returned to Beijing ahead of schedule.”

“When boarding the plane, Xi Jinping walked with difficulty, his steps faltering, his body repeatedly leaning to the left,” he added, sharing footage that appeared to show the 71-year-old leader walking up a set of aircraft stairs.

“All of this suggests that Xi Jinping is already an elderly man, and that his regime is a dying one.”

Xie also claimed in a post on X that Xi Jinping fainted during the BRICS summit and was taken back to China on a special flight for medical treatment.

As per Xie, in a post on X: “Upon the plane’s arrival at Beijing airport, the Beijing authorities did not arrange for a large group of officials to greet him, nor did they organise a welcome ceremony. Instead, a military helicopter was used to transport Xi Jinping directly to Beijing’s 301 Hospital for emergency treatment.”

The Chinese dissident added: “It is said that after diagnosis by the expert team at Beijing’s 301 Hospital, it was determined that Xi Jinping had suffered a severe ischemic stroke, that is, a transient cerebral infarction.” Because Xi Jinping feared that the Indian side might obtain information about his health, he refused emergency treatment at an Indian hospital and instead took a special plane back to Beijing for care.”

Xi’s health has long been under scrutiny due to his concentration of power without a clear successor. Additionally, the health of Chinese leaders is considered a highly classified state secret.

This week China has imposed sweeping travel restrictions on its own citizens, clamping down on holidays for fear of defections and leaked secrets. Or, as the CCP puts it, anyone deemed to endanger “industrial or technological security”.

The new rules stem from the Chinese Communist Party’s concern about technology exports as the AI race intensifies between China and the US. The regulation was drawn up to “safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests”, as per China’s State Council.

A returning Chinese citizen deemed to have endangered national security abroad could now be blocked from leaving China again for six months to three years.