▲ Chinese President Xi Jinping
Taiwanese media outlets, including FTV and SET TV, reported on the 4th, based on recently released on-site footage and online reactions, that rumors regarding health issues have been raised concerning Chinese President Xi Jinping's gait during his recent overseas trip.
President Xi arrived at Manas International Airport in the capital city of Bishkek on August 30 for a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, disembarking from his special plane alongside his wife, Peng Liyuan.
Some netizens claimed that President Xi's gait at the time appeared slow and his body movements somewhat stiff, differing from his usual brisk stride.
The sight of President Xi continually holding Peng's hand as he descended the stairs also led some netizens to interpret it as him being supported.
Observing this, netizens raised suspicions regarding his health, commenting that President Xi's complexion did not look well.
State-run China Central Television (CCTV) did not include the full process of walking down the stairs, broadcasting only footage of President Xi and his wife waving from the top of the stairs after the plane door opened and them stepping onto the red carpet.
This caused suspicions to spread further online.
However, Taiwanese media outlets maintained a cautious stance, noting that these claims are merely the subjective judgments of some netizens, while pointing out that there is no official information regarding President Xi's health issues and no corresponding response from the Chinese government.
Born in June 1953, President Xi is 73 years old this year, and rumors regarding health issues have repeatedly surfaced on multiple occasions, including in 2019, 2020, and 2025.
The health status of the leadership in China is classified as a top secret, and critics have pointed out that this "secrecy" gives rise to various speculations regarding the leadership's health.
In this regard, President Xi, who is viewed as a candidate for a fourth consecutive term, had a private conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning human lifespan leaked through a broadcast transmission during a military parade held in Beijing, China, in September of last year to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
At the time, President Xi remarked, "In the past, it was rare for people to live past 70, but nowadays, being 70 makes you like a child."
In response, President Putin chimed in, noting that with advances in biotechnology, "human organs can be constantly transplanted, and the longer you live, the younger you become and you could even achieve immortality."
To this, President Xi replied, "Some predict that humans could live up to 150 years in this century."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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