A former member of the Office of Naval Intelligence shared a video showing the former president of China being removed from the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
The video was shared in an Oct. 22 post on Twitter by Jack Posobiec, calling the act "ruthless." The video shows an official approaching former party secretary Hu Jintao as he is seated at a table at the congress. The official pulls Hu to his feet and tries to lead him away. Hu appears confused or reluctant, but eventually walks away with the official.
“Emperor Xi just had his predecessor Hu Jintao hauled out of the CCP summit on live TV in full view of everyone,” Posobiec said in the Twitter post.
Another Twitter post by Posobiec noted "Xi doesn't even look at him," with a more zoomed in version of the video.
China’s 20th National Party Congress concluded Oct. 22 with Xi Jinping claiming a third term as party secretary and packing the Politburo with loyalists, effectively removing potential opposition to his agenda, the Atlantic Council reported. During the congress, Xi confirmed that he is committed to continuing with China’s strict zero-COVID-19 strategy, emphasized his focus on security and highlighted his desire for reunification with Taiwan.
CNN reporter Frida Ghitis also shared a Twitter post of the incident, questioning the motives and noting the footage was reportedly censored in China.
Author and political scientist Iam Bremmer said Hu’s removal demonstrated “power politics on full display in Beijing,” in his Twitter post.
Chinese news sources claimed Hu’s removal was due to his poor health, but others are speculating the move demonstrates a departure from Hu’s leadership style, BBC News reported Oct. 25. Hu was president of China 2003-13, and that time was considered a period of opening up to the rest of the world for China.
Under Xi's leadership, in contrast, China has been more isolated, BBC News reported.
“China is all about order, especially at high profile events like that and especially in Xi’s era where it’s all about control," Wen-ti Sung, a lecturer at the Australian National University, said, according to BBC News. "So an arguably out-of-control Hu and this sudden exit definitely seems strange, and that’s why it justifies a lot of the rumors. But that’s not to say that the rumor or speculation about a purge is necessarily correct.”
Some believe Hu’s removal was a demonstration of Xi’s consolidation of power and removal of potential opposition, AP News reported Oct. 23. Hu reportedly favored Li Keqiang as a successor, but Li instead became a Premier, which is a rank below Xi. Li was stripped of his leadership position during the party congress.
