Chinese Leader’s Behavior at ‘Two Sessions’ Gathering Points to Serious Health Issues: Analyst

Officials listen to speeches during the Shaanxi delegation meeting during the annual 'Two Sessions' at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 6, 2024. Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s atypical behavior during the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) “Two Sessions” this week has led to speculation about possible health concerns. The shortened conference, along with Xi’s rare absence from an important event before the meetings convened, have garnered attention from China observers and analysts.

The CCP’s “Two Sessions” refers to the annual plenary sessions of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC), the two houses of China’s rubber-stamp legislature. The meetings kicked off in Beijing on March 4 and 5, respectively.

2 Teacups

In this year’s meetings, observers noted that two teacups were again placed on the table before Xi, while other attendees had only one teacup. This phenomenon, which was observed in the “Two Sessions” of 2019, 2021, and 2023, has consistently garnered media and public attention. Some observers interpret this as Xi’s attempt to assert his authority by highlighting the disparity in the number of teacups.