Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao, seated next to President Xi Jinping, escorted off stage during Communist Party congress

In a dramatic incident captured on camera and witnessed by more than 2,000 individuals in attendance, former Chinese leader Hu Jintao was escorted off his seat halfway through the proceedings in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday.

Prime Minister, Xi Jinping turned toward Hu as he got ready to leave. Sitting on Hu's opposite side, the chair of the Standing Committee of the National Legislature, Li Zhanshu, attempted to offer assistance until Wang Huning, head of the party secretariat, motioned for him to stop.




Hu Jintao, who will turn 80 in December, has appeared more fragile recently in public appearances and was perplexed as he was escorted off the platform. He paused to speak with Xi. He then patted outgoing Premier Li Keqiang on the back.

The 200-member body was unveiled soon after the party congress' final session. Xi overrode the retirement restrictions that had determined who oversaw the world's second-largest economy for the previous three decades.

Li Keqiang, a former Hu Jintao protégé still one year from retirement age, was noticeably absent from the body.

FAQs

Q1. Was Hu Jintao's departure due to political reasons?
An associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Alfred Wu, stated that Hu's spontaneous departure was unlikely to be a political statement.

Q2. Will Xi be able to make it to the third term in office?
With the announcement of a Central Committee made up of many of his supporters on Saturday, Xi took a step closer to earning a record-breaking third term in office.