Article By David Lindfield
Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s abrupt departure from India and subsequent absence from public view have ignited intense speculation about his health after several people spoke out to accuse the regime of covering up the fact that he’s suffered a “severe ischemic stroke.”
Rumors began spreading after Xi skipped a high-profile BRICS gala dinner and suddenly returned to China, far earlier than other world leaders.
Xi, 73, traveled to New Delhi for his first visit to India in seven years to attend the 18th BRICS summit but departed on September 13 after spending only about 24 hours in the country.
He has not been seen publicly since returning to China, fueling unverified claims that something happened to the Chinese leader during the summit.
Beijing has offered no indication that Xi suffered a medical emergency.
China’s foreign ministry said Xi left India after “successfully concluding” his participation in the summit, while India’s Ministry of External Affairs has rejected social-media claims that Xi and other world leaders became ill after the gathering as “fake” and “misleading.”
Modi Stops Speech to Check on Xi
One moment captured during the summit quickly became a focus of the speculation.
Video broadcast by India’s national broadcaster showed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly stopping during his opening remarks and turning toward Xi, who was seated beside him.
“Is it OK?” Modi asked as aides moved toward the Chinese leader.
Modi repeated the question before Xi nodded and the Indian prime minister resumed speaking.
The footage circulated widely online as questions about Xi’s health mounted.
Chinese journalists later posted a longer version of the video and argued that the interruption involved a malfunctioning translation earpiece rather than a medical problem.
Other reporting has similarly noted that it was unclear what prompted the exchange, with a translation or audio issue among the possible explanations.
Xi then skipped a gala dinner hosted by Modi for BRICS leaders.
His absence attracted attention because Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders attended.
No official explanation for Xi’s absence was initially given, although sources cited by Indian media said he had returned to his hotel to rest.
Rumors of Medical Emergency Explode
The unanswered questions quickly produced far more dramatic claims.
Xie Wanjun, the U.S.-based chairman of the unregistered China Democracy Party, alleged on X that Xi fainted during the summit and suffered a “severe ischemic stroke” before being flown back to China for emergency treatment.
Xie further alleged that Xi refused treatment in Delhi and was transported to Beijing’s 301 Hospital after returning to China.
“When boarding the plane, Xi Jinping walked with difficulty, his steps faltering, his body repeatedly leaning to the left,” Xie alleged.
Rumors are flying in China over Xi Jinping begin taken ill during his visit to India. They include claims that he suffered a minor illness to experiencing a stroke worsened by by failure to treat early. Some wild claims say rival group armies are mobilizing for civil war. No…
— Bill Gertz (@BillGertz) September 16, 2026
Those claims have not been confirmed by the Chinese Communist Party.
No official confirmation has emerged from either Beijing or New Delhi that Xi suffered a stroke or was hospitalized.
American journalist Bill Gertz said Wednesday that “rumors are flying” about Xi’s condition and pointed to even more extraordinary speculation that “rival group armies are mobilising for civil war.”
Henry Gao, a law professor at Singapore Management University, cautioned against simply ignoring the political significance of rumors inside China’s secretive political system.
“Anyone dismissing the recent China rumours as ‘just rumours’ needs a masterclass in Chinese history,” Gao said.
“In the right hands,” he added, rumors can become “political weapons.”
Trump Meeting Looms as Questions Grow
Political analyst Gordon Chang also amplified concerns about Xi’s condition while pointing to unverified reports of potential turmoil inside the Chinese Communist Party.
“Xi Jinping is not well,” Chang wrote.
“This time, China could not hide his condition.”
“There are sensational rumours that the Chinese military has freed two of Xi Jinping’s most powerful enemies, Bo Xilai and Zhou Yongkang.
“If these rumours are true – they’re hard to believe – Xi will not feel safe leaving China.”
The speculation comes at a sensitive moment.
Xi is scheduled to travel to the United States for a September 24 meeting with President Donald Trump, which would be the two leaders’ third face-to-face meeting in the past year.
Whether Xi appears as scheduled could therefore provide a clearer indication of whether the unusual events surrounding his India trip were routine or something more serious.
Another BRICS Leader Falls Ill After Summit
Adding another layer to the story, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, 73, also became ill after returning from the BRICS summit.
Unlike the claims surrounding Xi, Ramaphosa’s illness has been officially confirmed.
The South African presidency announced that Ramaphosa had withdrawn from public engagements after his medical team instructed him to rest and recover. His office has not disclosed the nature of his illness.
Ramaphosa attended the BRICS gala dinner before returning from Delhi on Monday.
His illness helped fuel online speculation that food served during the summit might somehow have been responsible, but no evidence has established such a connection. Indian authorities have pushed back strongly against social-media narratives linking illnesses among world leaders to the summit.
For now, the most dramatic claims surrounding Xi, including allegations that he suffered a stroke, remain unconfirmed.
But the unusual sequence of events has ensured the questions are not going away: Xi skipped the gala dinner, abruptly returned to China, and has remained outside public view while extraordinary rumors circulate about the condition of one of the world’s most powerful leaders.
With his meeting with Trump scheduled for September 24, Xi’s next public appearance, or continued absence, will inevitably draw intense scrutiny.
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