The former Chinese leader appeared reluctant to leave the closing ceremony of the Communist Party’s congress on Saturday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s predecessor, Hu Jintao, was escorted out of the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress on Saturday in an unusual move that has divided opinion.
The former president was led out of the closing ceremony of the congress by stewards who escorted him from his seat on the stage but he appeared reluctant to leave the event.
Hu had been sitting to Xi’s left in the main auditorium of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and the 79-year-old reportedly appeared frail, which has led to speculation about his health.
However, some social media users also suggested that Xi could have had Hu removed as a means of asserting his own authority. Xi is expected to be confirmed once again as general secretary of the Communist Party this weekend.
Xi is also expected to begin a third term as president of China in March in a move that would break with the country’s norms.
