China’s leader Xi Jinping is suffering from a brain aneurysm and wants to be treated with traditional medicine, reports say
- Bloggers speculate that the Chinese PM has a bulging blood vessel in his brain
- Censored social media posts suggest Xi’s poor health has worsened as a result of the Covid crisis
- He reportedly wants treatment with traditional medicine rather than major surgery
- Xi was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage in late 2021, unconfirmed reports claim
Chinese Premier Xi Jinping will not go under the knife to treat a rumored brain aneurysm, reports in China claim.
Bloggers suggested that the 68-year-old Beijing leader favors traditional medicine and will oppose brain surgery, according to posts that were removed by state censors.
At the beginning of the pandemic, China worked to export traditional medical options to treat Covid. Xi was one of the campaign’s leading advocates.
The PM was reportedly struggling as a wave of ultra-strict Covid lockdowns across China weighed on the country’s economy – and the government’s ability to quash dissent.
Xi Jinping (pictured at a Communist Party meeting on May 10) is said to be suffering from a bulging blood vessel in his brain. Brain aneurysms usually occur in adults over 40
He was reportedly hospitalized late last year after doctors discovered a bulging blood vessel in his brain, the ANI news agency reported.
Like Putin, Xi’s health has always been a closely guarded secret.
As he addressed a crowd in Shenzhen during the first Covid wave of 2020, observers noted his slow speech and cough.
During a visit to Italy in March 2019, Xi was pictured with a noticeable limp and needed help trying to sit up.
Last week, the State Council of the Politburo warned the public against rebelling against lockdowns.
China’s “zero Covid” policy includes some of the world’s most draconian social distancing measures, including fences around homes and metal barriers on the streets.
The elusive Xi welcomes Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to an Asian summit in January 2020
Toddlers have also been reportedly separated from their parents to contain the virus.
In Shanghai, images of workers in white hazmat suits sealing entrances to apartment blocks and cordoning off entire streets with green metal cages circulated on social media.
Xi reiterated his commitment to a “zero-COVID” policy two weeks ago, putting China at odds with much of the world.
While many countries are lifting restrictions and trying to live with the virus, China is keeping its international borders largely closed and locking down entire cities to all but essential travel.
China’s Politburo acknowledged the economic costs of lockdowns and said efforts must be made to “minimize the impact of the epidemic on economic and social development,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Despite the strain on the economy and everyday life, the action has been hailed by the Communist Party as a virtuous display of self-sacrifice under the motto “Perseverance is Victory.”
Though the internet is carefully censored, the Chinese government is also struggling to contain dissatisfaction with the Zero Covid plan.
An estimated 180 million Chinese are in lockdown despite relatively low infection rates.
The draconian measures in Shanghai have only intensified as children were told to wear hazmat suits to school and diners were trapped at a restaurant after the doors were drilled shut.
Buildings where cases were found had entrances sealed, with a small opening for Covid prevention guards to pass through.
“This is so disrespectful to the rights of the people inside to use metal barriers to enclose them like pets,” said one Weibo user.
Another video showed residents shouting at workers from balconies while they erected fences. The workers gave in and took it with them. Other videos showed people trying to knock down fences.
“Isn’t that a fire hazard?” commented another Weibo user.