By Li Deyan, Vision Times
China’s annual “Two Sessions” political meetings in Beijing have produced an unusual series of absences and contradicting official reports, raising questions about the status of several senior officials and fueling speculation about internal tensions within the top levels of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Observers noted particularly unusual developments surrounding Chen Wu, a vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), whose presence at the meetings appeared inconsistent across official statements and televised footage. To further complicate matters, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s health has also drawn scrutiny among analysts after several reports suggested he may have experienced health issues during the political gathering.
Chen Wu’s mysterious appearance
The fourth session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee concluded on March 11, 2026. One day earlier, the CPPCC Standing Committee held its 16th meeting. According to a report from state-run Xinhua News Agency, 22 vice chairpersons of the CPPCC attended the meeting, including Shi Taifeng, Hu Chunhua, Shen Yueyue, Wang Yong, Zhou Qiang, Leung Chun-ying, and Chen Wu.
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However, a closer examination of official video footage revealed discrepancies. An X platform analyst known as “Chinese Personnel Watch” noted that although the CPPCC reportedly has 23 vice chairpersons, only 21 individuals appeared seated on the rostrum in televised footage. According to the analysis, the two missing officials were Qin Boyong and Chen Wu.
The analyst wrote: “The attendance situation at the 16th Standing Committee meeting of the CPPCC is very strange. The official report says 22 vice chairpersons attended. But in the footage, only 21 appeared on the rostrum. Qin Boyong and Chen Wu were absent, and no seats were reserved for them.”
“Chinese Personnel Watch” further observed that Qin Boyong had attended other major sessions of the CPPCC meetings but missed the March 10 Standing Committee meeting. Chen Wu, by contrast, had not appeared in any footage from the Two Sessions events, even though his name appeared in the official attendance report.
Interestingly, Chen Wu did appear briefly in footage from a separate leadership meeting held prior to the Standing Committee session, suggesting he may have attended in some capacity but not been seated prominently during the main meeting.
Some observers suggested health concerns may explain the unusual arrangement. One online commenter noted: “There was a nameplate next to Yang Zhen that might have been Chen Wu’s seat. Perhaps he had to leave early due to health reasons and the cameras simply didn’t capture him.”
Others speculated that Chen Wu may have been seated at the edge of the stage to allow for easier movement if he needed to leave the meeting. As of now, it remains unclear whether Chen Wu actually appeared at the Two Sessions in person.
Xi’s policy changes
Chen Wu’s repeated absences have also revived discussion about the CCP’s evolving leadership age rules. Chen Wu was born in November 1954 and became a CPPCC vice chairman in 2023 at age 68. Under the CCP’s previous informal retirement rule, known as “seven up, eight down,” officials generally needed to be born after January 1955 to be eligible for promotion to vice–national-level positions during the 2022–2023 leadership transition.
However, the CCP adjusted the rule in certain cases. A March 2023 report by state media Xinhua stated: “New nominees should generally be born after January 1, 1955. However, age requirements may be appropriately relaxed for certain ethnic minority officials, leaders of democratic parties, non-party figures, representatives of ethnic or religious communities, and individuals from Hong Kong and Macau.”
Because of this adjustment, Chen Wu and another official, Shohrat Zakir, were both promoted to vice–national-level roles despite exceeding the previous age limit.
According to “Chinese Personnel Watch,” this change reflects Xi Jinping’s influence over leadership norms and could result in more elderly officials remaining in senior positions, increasing the likelihood of absences due to health problems. “On average, the older officials are, the more likely health issues will affect their ability to perform their duties,” wrote “Chinese Personnel Watch”, citing Chen Wu and another senior official, Hao Mingjin, as examples.
Hao Mingjin’s continued absence
Hao Mingjin, vice chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, has also drawn attention for repeatedly missing official events. At a February 25 meeting of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, Hao was among 13 members absent from the session. Records on the NPC website indicate that he has not attended several Standing Committee meetings since October 2025.
Meanwhile, Qin Boyong, another senior figure, also missed multiple meetings of the China Democratic National Construction Association (CDNCA), prompting speculation that both officials had “disappeared for at least 40 days.” In December 2025, Qin Boyong unexpectedly reappeared at a commemorative event marking the 80th anniversary of the organization.
Hao Mingjin, however, did not attend the event. According to Hong Kong media outlet Sing Tao Daily, he remained in recovery due to health reasons.
Rumors of Xi’s declining health
The unusual absences coincided with online rumors about Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s health during the Two Sessions. Political commentator Lao Deng claimed on social media that Xi had suffered another stroke during the meetings, though the situation was reportedly stabilized after medical intervention.
According to the rumor, Xi appeared unusually fatigued during several public appearances at the meetings, with observers noting his posture sometimes looked strained.
While official explanations point primarily to health issues, the unusual inconsistencies surrounding the appearances of Chen Wu, Hao Mingjin, and Qin Boyong have left many questions unanswered. For now, though, analysts say the strange developments during the 2026 Two Sessions highlight the opaque nature of elite politics inside the Chinese Communist Party — where even the presence or absence of senior officials can become a source of speculation.
Editorial note: This article is based on publicly circulating reports and commentary from independent analysts. The claims described have not been independently verified by Vision Times, and relevant authorities have not publicly confirmed the allegations.
