A Communist political leader was physically removed from a public meeting during the nation’s National Congress on Saturday.
A leader removed Hu Jintao, a longtime political leader, in a move to strengthen the power of the Communist leader Xi Jinping.
Bad news for Hu https://t.co/n94xmrlkVc
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 23, 2022
A power move
“Xi came to power during the 18th Party Congress in 2012 and was reelected during the 19th Party Congress in 2017. Over the last decade, Xi’s tenure has been marked by political purges, which have led to more than 8.58 million arrests, Chinese state-run media reported,” the Daily Caller reported.
“In the intervening years, Xi repealed a constitutionally mandated restriction barring leaders from serving more than two terms and theoretically may now be reelected for a third term at some point during the 20th Party Congress,” the report added.
Ex-Chinese President Hu Jintao forced from party congress, erased from internet as Xi solidifies power https://t.co/ZuIknuUwrI pic.twitter.com/jPz9KXZyCb
— New York Post (@nypost) October 24, 2022
Posts removed
“There was no explanation for the exit of the frail leader, who retired in 2013. Hu was escorted away from the congress by officials about halfway through the day’s events at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,” the New York Post reported.
“Hu’s abrupt exit appeared to be censored on China’s social media platform, Weibo, with searches Saturday afternoon for his name returning posts published before the weekend,” it added.
Hu Jintao, the former Chinese leader, was unexpectedly escorted out of the Communist Party congress without explanation. He appeared to pause to speak to President Xi Jinping before leaving. https://t.co/cVxjhC4DEr pic.twitter.com/0TQ3b7frU9
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 22, 2022
The crackdown on fellow Chinese leaders appears to consolidate additional power to the nation’s leader.
The move also may serve as an example to other Chinese political leaders to warn them of any opposition to Xi.
Much is unclear, but the forced removal of a longtime leader is of concern to many worldwide.