Xi Jinping under house arrest? Social media abuzz with rumours on Chinese President

According to several posts, Xi Jinping, who was recently in Samarkand for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or SCO, summit, was removed as the chief of China’s People’s Liberation Army, or the PLA.

Gargi Chaudhry

First Published Sep 24, 2022, 5:48 PM IST | Last Updated Sep 24, 2022, 5:48 PM IST

Social media is rife with rumours that Chinese President Xi Jinping has been be placed under house arrest even though Beijing is officially yet to respond on the matter. Many media reports suggest that Jinping, who was recently in Samarkand for the SCO meeting, has been relieved of his duties as the leader of China's People's Liberation Army, or PLA.

Taking to Twitter, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said, “New rumour to be checked out: Is Xi Jinping under house arrest in Beijing? When Xi was in Samarkand recently, the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party were supposed to have removed Xi from the Party’s in-charge of the Army. Then House arrest followed. So goes the rumour."

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This house arrest reports surfaced after two former ministers received death sentences and four officials received life sentences. The six were reportedly a member of a "political group," according to reports.

China’s former vice minister of Public Security, Sun Lijun, who was accused of leading a “political clique” and being disloyal to President Xi Jinping, was given a suspended death sentence on Friday for taking bribes, manipulating the stock market, and illegally possessing firearms. The court established that Sun received money and valuables totaling more than 646 million yuan (92.39 million USD) by taking advantage of various positions he held between 2001 and April 2020.

The Communist Party is currently on an anti-corruption drive throughout the nation, and it is thought that the six were Jinping's detractors. The anti-Jinping lobby is said to have initiated and circulated the rumours about Jinping's home detention.

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Several Chinese nationals on Twitter, also, posted about Xi Jinping’s alleged house arrest. Many claimed that the PLA has taken over control of the army.

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