Hu Jintao purged?

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-63355950

[The Dowager Mod]

https://twitter.com/FridaGhitis/status/1583752083605684225

[brucejoel99]

A public purge would be a "Wow!" event but is that theory not invalidated by the fact that they appear to be taking it pretty embarrassingly, not showing any footage of it on state TV? Seems like the frail-looking 79-year-old who appeared confused is just old & sick, as suggested by the BBC's chief China correspondent:

https://twitter.com/stephenmcdonell/status/1583797259027652608
Perhaps he was just on the verge of a health episode at the absolute wrong place, wrong time?

[Illiniwek]

That sure looks like someone who is being removed against his will….

[NewYorkExpress]

If Xi wanted to purge Hu Jintao, he would have done it several years ago. There's no point in doing so now, when he's old and sick.

[Middle-aged Europe]

"You look really sick, Mr. President. We're here to escort you out."

"Thanks, but I'm fine.'

"You don't understand, Mr. President. You look really sick."

[2952-0-0]

The official line, tellingly only published in foreign-language services:
https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/1583829797297598465

That sure looks like someone who is being removed against his will….

Perhaps he was just on the verge of a health episode at the absolute wrong place, wrong time?

He could be genuinely suffering from Alzheimer's, leading to him being dazed and confused. Maybe he was being escorted out for genuine health reasons, but Xi made it look like it's a purge. He's become a master at identifying real problems and using them to strengthen his power. The fact that everyone else in the room was silent is telling.

[Cashew]

Didn't y'all learn your lesson after the so called "coup". Nobody know what happened, but probably something boring. The China rumor mongering is just embarassing wish fulfillment at this point.

[Torie]

One has no need to purge a frail old man, who is probably suffering from dementia, and one certainly would not do it in front of the cameras. They would not have let him in the room. He was probably let in just to be polite, and then had trouble not fidgeting in his chair, and Xi did not want that kind of distraction right next to him.

[Middle-aged Europe]

One has no need to purge a frail old man, who is probably suffering from dementia, and one certainly would not do it in front of the cameras. They would not have let him in the room. He was probably let in just to be polite, and then had trouble not fidgeting in his chair, and Xi did not want that kind of distraction right next to him.

Or it was a public demonstration of power... that Xi's power is now so great that he can even have former presidents thrown out of the room while being on television.

[CumbrianLefty]

One has no need to purge a frail old man, who is probably suffering from dementia, and one certainly would not do it in front of the cameras. They would not have let him in the room. He was probably let in just to be polite, and then had trouble not fidgeting in his chair, and Xi did not want that kind of distraction right next to him.

Or it was a public demonstration of power... that Xi's power is now so great that he can even have former presidents thrown out of the room while being on television.

It can be the former reason, whilst still serving the latter purpose.

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

One has no need to purge a frail old man, who is probably suffering from dementia, and one certainly would not do it in front of the cameras. They would not have let him in the room. He was probably let in just to be polite, and then had trouble not fidgeting in his chair, and Xi did not want that kind of distraction right next to him.

Or it was a public demonstration of power... that Xi's power is now so great that he can even have former presidents thrown out of the room while being on television.

It can be the former reason, whilst still serving the latter purpose.

This is the most likely answer.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

He could be genuinely suffering from Alzheimer's, leading to him being dazed and confused. Maybe he was being escorted out for genuine health reasons, but Xi made it look like it's a purge. He's become a master at identifying real problems and using them to strengthen his power. The fact that everyone else in the room was silent is telling.

It's completely plausible that Hu really does have dementia and was simply led out, but if he wasn't, the nature of the purge could serve Xi's interests.

In this scenario, it would signal to those in the know that he's powerful enough to march Hu out, and to supporters who weren't in the know, it would signal that Hu is a frail dementia patient (even if he isn't) who cannot be trusted.

[HillGoose]

https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/1583829975932997637

"Now, he is much better" bro they sent him to Urinetown

[Beet]

The results of the Congress are even more horrifying than I thought. The last of the moderate faction has been removed from the Politburo and 5 of the 7 Politburo Standing Committee members are now Xi cronies.

[If my soul was made of stone]

[Dr. MB]

Lost a real one