His absence from the G20 summit in India raises questions: Is Xi Jinping seriously ill? Media reports suggest this, but doubts are justified.
It was a summit meeting that will probably go down in the history books: Last weekend, the heads of state and government of the G20, the group of 20 most important industrialized and emerging countries, met in New Delhi. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz then spoke of a "new coexistence between North and South", and the extremely heterogeneous group of states was even able to agree on a joint final declaration. Two heads of state, however, were missing when history was made in India's capital: Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is ostracized by the West because of the war of aggression on Ukraine – and China's state and party leader Xi Jinping.
The fact that Xi Jinping would not fly to New Delhi had already become known a few days earlier. On Monday before the summit, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said that Premier Li Qiang would travel to New Delhi "at the invitation of the Indian government" instead of Xi. Why Xi canceled the meeting for the first time, however, left the ministry open. And so speculation is currently shooting into the weeds. Many suspected political reasons. But there are also other rumors: Is Xi Jinping seriously ill and therefore unable to travel to India?
In any case, several German media outlets recently dug out reports from last year that Xi Jinping was suffering from a life-threatening aneurysm in his brain. Such a pathological dilation of vessels can suddenly burst and consequently be life-threatening – or remain permanently without effects. It is also possible that those affected develop disorders of speech, vision or hearing. The Indian news agency ANI had reported on the alleged illness in 2022, and several newspapers picked up on the news at the time. Xi was in hospital at the end of 2021 because of the aneurysm, it was said – but he refused surgery. Instead, Xi is "relying on traditional Chinese medicine," according to ANI. However, the agency did not provide any evidence for the allegations.
Xi Jinping appears to be in good health
In general, Xi Jinping seems to be in good health at the moment: On Friday, the head of state, who is also commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army, visited a military unit in northern China. In pictures published by state media on Sunday, the 70-year-old appeared as fit as many other men his age.
The current speculation about Xi Jinping is fueled above all by his appearance at the BRICS summit in South Africa at the end of August. Xi had traveled to Johannesburg as planned. However, China's head of state cancelled his speech at the BRICS Economic Forum, which was originally scheduled for 22 August; instead, he unexpectedly sent Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. To the astonishment of many observers, China's Foreign Ministry nevertheless said that Xi had given the speech. It remained unclear why Xi did not appear himself – especially since it was above all China that had campaigned for the expansion of the BRICS to include six more states, which was decided in Johannesburg. The next day, however, Xi again attended several appointments.
China's state media are usually very cautious about information about the state of health or the whereabouts of the state leadership. Pictures like those of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with an eye patch are unlikely to be seen by Chinese leaders. In addition, appointments that Xi Jinping has kept are often reported only with a delay of several days. Xi is usually already back in Beijing.
Xi Jinping not at the G20 summit – but still a great success for Modi
As early as September 2012, shortly before his rise to China's top political offices, Xi went into hiding for two weeks. Even then, there was no official explanation for the incident. And when China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang suddenly disappeared without a trace in the middle of this year, it was initially said after several weeks of radio silence that Qin had had to cancel his appointments "for health reasons". Then, however, Qin was removed from office without any justification. Qin's current whereabouts are unknown.
Meanwhile, Xi Jinping's absence from the G20 summit in New Delhi could have many reasons. For decades, China has been in an unresolved ongoing conflict with India over the common border. India is also part of the Quad group, a loose military alliance that also includes Australia, Japan and the United States – states that are currently anything but friendly to China. The fact that India has granted the Dalai Lama exile since he fled Tibet in 1959 also angers Beijing. According to observers, Xi could also be angry that India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the G20 summit in person – while in July he only received the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which Beijing once set up, for the summit meeting virtually.
In any case, if Xi's intention was to humiliate Modi with his absence, he is unlikely to have succeeded. India's Prime Minister hailed the summit as a great success – for himself and for his country.
