Yet, instead of easing speculation, the heavily edited state media coverage of his brief remarks only deepened doubts. In the video, commentators commented that Xi appeared tired and hesitant. Some outlets reported that much of his speech was read by a news anchor rather than shown live, a detail that fueled rumors he may be recovering from a stroke under medical supervision.
However, Chinese officials have not spoken about it, and no major media outlets reported anything on the rumor. Even some social media commentators termed it as information warfare.
Fox news report on Xi Jinping’s health
Fox News’ discussion with US-based China analyst Gordon Chang, who gave some forecasts on Xi’s future in a video published earlier this month titled, “’EARTH-SHATTERING’: Rumors float Xi is losing grip on power in China.” Citing information allegedly from the US ambassador to China, Chang said a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi during the upcoming APEC Summit in South Korea had been abruptly canceled and would not occur until at least 2026.
Quite synonymous with his claim, he recently tweeted that the Chinese regime is failing.
News outlet Vision Times quotes political commentator Tang Jingyuan calling the cancellation “highly unusual,” noting that just four days after Trump confirmed his participation in APEC, US Ambassador David Perdue announced the meeting’s postponement. Chang said this was not a simple scheduling issue but “an external symptom of an internal power struggle.” He further speculated that Xi might have lost the freedom to travel abroad—or even feared being unable to return to China if he left. “For the first time, a major US media outlet is openly discussing the possibility of Xi handing over power,” Chang added, arguing that Xi’s loss of two key positions, CCP General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, was “a real possibility.”
Fox News host Maria Bartiromo also noted that, as per her sources, Xi Jinping is less powerful than believed and suffered a mini-stroke a couple of years ago.
Xi-Putin talk on immortality
On September 3, China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un met in public for the first time. A footage released by bloomberg captured and translated Xi’s remark on longevity and Putin’s response to it; both of them were 72.
Xi was heard saying, “In the past, people rarely lived to 70, but today at 70, you’re still a child.” The Russian leader replied, “With advances in biotechnology, human organs can be continually replaced, allowing people to live longer and longer and even achieve immortality.” Xi Jinping: “According to projections, there’s a chance to live up to 150 years in this century.”
Professor Wen-Hsuan Tsai of National Chengchi University, in his research paper titled “The Norm Saboteur,” noted on Xi’s succession that, “I am of the opinion that Xi Jinping intends to die in office, like Mao Zedong or Stalin, and unless he suffers a major health problem, he will continue to wield absolute power.”
Power struggle within CCP and Xi’s successor
Speculation over the Chinese President’s health has amplified alongside rising tensions in the US–China trade war, which analysts say may have deepened divisions within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and revived uncertainty over Xi’s long-debated succession.
As Beijing tightened restrictions on rare earth exports, US President Donald Trump hit back with a 100 percent tariff on Chinese goods. But on October 12, Trump struck a surprisingly personal tone, saying Xi was “in a bad mood” and that he did not want China to fall into recession. Observers, however, believe the rare earth move reflects more than economic brinkmanship. They argue it exposes a power struggle within Zhongnanhai, with Xi’s unpredictable actions hinting at growing factional rifts ahead of the upcoming Fourth Plenary Session.
As per Vision Times, Commentator Tang Jingyuan said the rare earth clampdown shows “a split at the very top” of the CCP, between a faction seeking reconciliation with Washington and another pushing confrontation. He offered three possible explanations: Xi himself playing both roles, Xi defying moderate Party elders, or elders orchestrating both sides. Tang leans toward the second, suggesting Xi and his loyalists are stirring controlled chaos to reassert dominance. Despite signs of weakening authority, Xi reportedly still commands enough loyal operatives across ministries to disrupt policymaking and resist internal pushback, the outlet explains.
The truth about Xi Jinping’s sickness
It’s very hard to know for sure, considering censorship in Chinese Media’s. But these kinds of rumors around health issues of world leaders like US president Trump, Russian President Putin are common and frequently seen in social media news.
The Lansing Institute did a fact check on this topic in June this year and analyzed that some Russian-backed news outlets spread disinformation around Xi’s health. They termed it as “cold-war–style rumors—circulated via circular sourcing on social platforms, lacking real vetting.”
