Xi Jinping health rumors emerge after skipping BRICS gala in India

Speculation regarding the health of Chinese President Xi Jinping emerged following his last-minute decision to skip a gala dinner during the BRICS Summit in India. Although Xi had previously accepted the invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he withdrew from the event, citing that he was not feeling well.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the dinner in his place, meeting with leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. While social media rumors suggested the Chinese leader had suffered a stroke or a serious collapse, reports from the Wall Street Journal indicated there is no evidence to support such claims.

Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials dismissed the rumors as “completely false.” Local media reported that Xi had simply returned to his hotel to rest, and footage later surfaced showing him climbing the stairs of his aircraft without assistance, which appeared to contradict the more severe health rumors.