A claim going viral worldwide on social media alleges that Chinese President Xi Jinping fell severely ill, suffered a brain stroke, was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment, and subsequently fell into a coma. Reports circulating online claim that he suffered a mild brain stroke after attending the recent BRICS summit in India, causing him to lose consciousness. A post made on X by Wanjun Xie, chairman of the banned China Democratic Party and a dissident leader, has caused a stir worldwide, sparking intense concern over Xi’s health.
According to the claims circulating, Xi was being given emergency treatment in hospital. The X post by the banned Chinese party leader created a sensation, alleging that Xi lost consciousness at the BRICS summit, was hurriedly flown back to China aboard a special aircraft, and was then rushed to hospital for emergency treatment. Xie further claimed in his post that Xi refused treatment in India specifically because his health condition would have become known to the Indian side, a claim that has fuelled numerous doubts over Xi’s health.
Xie wrote in his post that Xi Jinping fell severely ill and lost consciousness while the BRICS summit was underway in Delhi, and subsequently suffered a severe ischemic stroke. He claimed that Xi was airlifted back to Beijing and taken by military helicopter to the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, commonly known as “301 Hospital,” for emergency treatment, sparking widespread speculation over his health. Xie is the chairman of the China Democracy Party (CDP), which is banned in China, and is reported to be residing in the United States.
Even as this claim spread, China’s official news website, english.gov.cn, stated that the reports of Xi’s illness were untrue, saying that Xi suffered no health issues at all after returning to Beijing from New Delhi. Reports on gov.cn state that he returned in good health after attending the 18th BRICS summit alongside Chinese ministers and officials.
Doubts Over Xi’s Absence From BRICS Dinner
Xi arrived in New Delhi on September 12 for the 18th BRICS summit held in the city — his first visit to India in seven years. During the summit, he held several key agreements and bilateral talks with India. However, he subsequently did not attend the dinner hosted by Modi at Bharat Mandapam. While Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other BRICS leaders attended the dinner, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended on Beijing’s behalf in Xi’s absence. Officials said Xi had returned to his hotel to rest after a busy, tiring schedule. However, the fact that no official explanation for his absence has emerged so far has given rise to considerable speculation.
Separately, Chinese President Xi appeared uncomfortable during the BRICS proceedings, prompting Prime Minister Modi to pause his speech midway and ask whether he was alright. This incident further fuelled speculation over Xi’s health. Video footage clearly showed Modi turning toward the translator and asking, “Is he okay?” — with the Chinese president appearing to respond before Modi continued his speech. The exact reason behind Xi’s apparent discomfort remains unclear, with some suggesting it may have been due to a microphone issue or a problem with the translation of his speech. However, the allegations from the country’s dissident leader have since become a sensation. Separately, no elaborate welcome ceremony was arranged for Xi upon his return to China — though China’s official media issued a statement noting that no such ceremonies had been held on previous occasions either, and that this instance was no different, dismissing the speculation over Xi’s health.