China watchers were no closer to solving the mystery surrounding former Chinese leader Hu Jintao's recent public removal from a major political event, while Beijing was silencing questions from the foreign press by pretending they were never asked.
On the final day of the Chinese Communist Party's 20th National Congress on Saturday, thousands of delegates and reporters inside the Great Hall of the People witnessed what appeared to be a rare unscripted moment at the otherwise highly choreographed event.
Hu, the CCP's general secretary between 2002 and 2012, was seated to the left of current party leader, Xi Jinping, before two staff members escorted him out of the venue in a state of apparent confusion.
The moment shocked observers on the day, and speculation has continued—everything from a ruthless public purge to an acute health emergency has been suggested.
Hu, 79, and Xi, 69, belong to different political factions. The transfer of top leadership positions from the former to the latter a decade ago was considered smooth, even if many believe Hu wouldn't approve of Xi's power grab today.
Saturday's incident was caught on camera but not broadcast inside China. CNN's live feed in the country was censored at the time, the network said, while social media mentions of Hu's name were also restricted.
The only semi-official explanation came in the form of two tweets that were clearly meant for foreign audiences rather than for Chinese eyes. Twitter has been banned in China since 2009 and isn't accessible without a government-approved virtual private network.
China's official news service Xinhua said Hu "insisted on attending the closing session...despite the fact that he has been taking time to recuperate recently."
"When he was not feeling well during the session, his staff, for his health, accompanied him to a room next to the meeting venue for a rest. Now, he is much better," the news agency said.
The posts were not accompanied by links to any news reports, either in Chinese or English. Xinhua also didn't convey the same message to the Chinese public on Weibo or WeChat, China's two largest social media services.
On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry dismissed a question about Hu as irrelevant to the daily press conference, according to a Reuters journalist. Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also referred the reporter to Xinhua's statement.
The exchange was omitted from both the Chinese and English official Foreign Ministry transcripts, in a move that only added to the mystery and suggested Hu's exit was at the very least a politically sensitive matter.
Beijing has used the same tactic several times this year already. Most recently, its Foreign Ministry scrubbed at least two questions about the scuffle between Hong Kong protesters and staff at the Chinese consulate in Manchester, England.
Two days after the party congress ended, and one day after Xi emerged with a norm-busting third term as leader, Singapore news channel CNA aired fresh footage of the lead-up to Hu's removal.
In the video, the former Chinese leader appeared curious about the contents of a folder in front of him. When he tried to read it, he was stopped by Li Zhanshu, China's No. 3 official, seated to his left.
Xi seemed to notice the commotion and motioned toward a staff member. Later, a seemingly reluctant Hu was held by his right arm and escorted from the stage, a moment captured by other members of the press.
But even the new footage brought long-time China watchers no closer to the truth, and only added to the conjecture.
The likelihood of a high-profile political purge was greatly reduced when Chinese broadcaster CCTV showed images of Hu on its prime-time news program after the party congress concluded.
But Beijing's reluctance to openly discuss the incident continues to fuel speculation.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
John Feng is Newsweek's contributing editor for Asia based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He ... Read more
