79-year-old Hu Jintao appears to be arguing about the meeting’s papers before being forced out of the hall. Xi Jinping’s power became even stronger.
In China, the choreography of party meetings is planned down to the minute. That’s why the president Xi Jinping predecessor Hu Jintao being escorted out of the conference hall in the presence of the international media last Saturday was very special.
A video by the Singaporean CNA news channel that has now become public shows the moments before Hu was removed from the hall. It was previously reported that Hu was unwell.
The video shows that Hu is traditionally seated in the hall next to his successor, Xi Jinping. On the other side of Hu sits Li Zhansu, who belongs to the core of the party, who is talking with Hu.
Li moves the red folder away from Hu. Soon after, a seemingly reluctant Hu is forced out of the meeting by two officials.
As he leaves, Hu waves the prime minister away Li Keqiang shoulder. Both Hu and Li represent the Youth League of the Communist Party of China, which was considered influential in the past.
Li Keqiang was, or was, left out of the core standing committee of the party. Li is known as a staunch defender of market economy reforms.
In the line-up of party leaders, no one seems to show sympathy for Hu, who is to be removed.
In China, the removal of Hu Jintao was not reported
Official China has been typically tight-lipped about Saturday’s events.
The news agency Xinhua tweeted on Saturday that Hu had been unwell. The message was most obviously aimed abroad, because Twitter cannot be followed in China.
The Chinese media has not commented on Hu Jintao’s fate, reports news agency Reuters. For example, Saturday’s TV news in China showed a picture of Hu still sitting still.
According to Reuters, references to Hu Jintao have been removed with a heavy hand from China’s own social media. Also references to Hu’s son to Hu Haifeng has been deleted.
Xi’s grip on China tightened
At the meeting, Xi Jinping’s position as the leader of the Communist Party and the whole of China was further strengthened.
At last week’s meeting, three people who, like Hu Jintao, had belonged to the party’s so-called youth league, were left out of the core of the party’s power, the Standing Committee.
Some have seen Hu’s removal from the hall as at least a symbolic gesture that Xi has now cleaned up even the slightest differences in his inner circle.
– It seemed that an era has ended. Frankly, it looked very strange, says the director of the European Union Chamber of Commerce, who has lived in China for decades Joerg Wuttke.
According to some estimates, the scant commentary on the incident tells about the possible position of Xi’s opponents and China’s communication environment. Things are simply not told openly. The secretive culture has increased as Xi’s power has strengthened.
Ai Weiwei: “The Chinese leadership is ruthless”
An artist known as a critic of the Chinese leadership Ai Weiwei has commented on the fate of Hu Jintao during his visit to Tokyo.
According to Ai, “China is ruled by a group that shows no respect, a group that has no personal feelings.”
– The event was like a parody of reality, because no one makes a move, no one even blinks an eye. But it shows the ruthless attitude of the Chinese leadership, Ai said.
Ai Weiwei currently lives in Europe. He moved abroad after being in trouble with the authorities several times because of his criticism. He has also been in prison in China.
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