Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao escorted out of CCP ceremony

by Jared Gans - 10/22/22 10:26 AM ET

Associated Press/Ng Han Guan
Chinese President Xi Jinping at left looks on as former Chinese President Hu Jintao is assisted to leave the hall during the closing ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao, Xi’s predecessor as party leader, was helped off the stage shortly after foreign media came in, sparking speculation about his health. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Former Chinese President Hu Jintao was escorted out of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) National Congress without explanation on Saturday.

The CCP holds its National Congress meeting once every five years to discuss the issues facing China and elects its Central Committee and other top leaders.

The meeting is traditionally well-choreographed, but video showed Hu being taken out of the meeting suddenly.

One man locked his arm with Hu’s before another appeared where Hu was sitting and directed him out of the room, according to footage from AFP News Agency. Hu appeared to pull back from the man holding his arm on at least one occasion and said something to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who responded and nodded, before leaving the room.

Hu served as president of China and general secretary of the CCP for 10 years, preceding Xi.

Xi is set to be elected to an unprecedented third term as president at the National Congress, which will make him the longest-serving president of China in history.

Presidents were previously restricted to serving no more than two five-year terms, but Xi pushed for changes a few years ago that removed term limits from the constitution.

CNN reported that Hu has been in increasingly frail health in public in recent years.

Tags CCP Chinese Communist Party Hu Jintao Xi Jinping Xi Jinping