Rumors about the health of Chinese President Xi Jinping are hot in the market. Various speculations being made in media reports have claimed that his health is deteriorating. These speculations are also being fueled by Jinping's apathy towards foreign tours. Speculations are rife that he may not be in a position to attend the meetings directly or have face-to-face meetings. The arguments given in support of the ill health of the President are-
1- No foreign tour in 600 days
According to media reports, the Chinese President has not visited foreign countries even once for the last 600 days. He had earlier visited Myanmar on January 18, 2020. Since then he has not left the country.
2- Closed personal meeting
According to the report, the recent scenario indicates that Xi Jinping is not meeting any foreign leader personally. There is no foreign leader visiting who is scheduled to meet the Chinese President. Even if a foreign minister visits, he reaches cities other than Beijing. This does not make it necessary for Xi Jinping to meet him.
3- Emphasis on a telephone conversation
For health reasons, Jinping is now doing more and more telephonic conversations. During the said period, he held telephonic talks with about 60 heads of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
4- Virtual participation in meetings
In the current year, the President has attended dozens of international meetings, but made a virtual presence in all of them. He also participated in the BRICS meeting held on 9 September 2021 through virtual means instead of personally attending. Apart from this, Jinping's personal presence at the G20 summit to be held in Rome in October 2021 has also not been confirmed.
5- Meetings adjourned for no reason
The report also states that President Jinping has postponed meetings with the US Secretary of State in China, the Prime Minister of Singapore, the Danish Prime Minister without assigning any reason.
6- Signs of wobbly feet
The media report mentions Jinping's visit to Italy, Monaco, and France in March 2019. It said that during the inspection under the guard of honor, the Chinese President was seen faltering during this visit. He was seen leaning on the arm of the chair while sitting during talks with French President Macron.
7- Frequent cough during speech
On the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, Jinping arrived on stage to deliver a speech much later than scheduled. He spoke very slowly during the one-hour speech on stage. During this, he was seen repeatedly coughing and drinking water.
