Rumors of a coup against Chinese President Xi Jinping were circulating on social media. However, experts have highlighted that there is no concrete verification of a coup or any disturbance in China so far. Internet rumors started when Jinping was reported to have vanished from the public spotlight after returning from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, which was his first official overseas trip since the Covid-19 outbreak started.
Whereas, before the party's five-yearly congress, which is slated to start on October 16, where Jinping is positioned to secure a record third term and cement his position as China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, their social media profiles portray life as usual in the nation. No representatives of the Communist Party in power in China, nor the state media, have commented on the rumors.
Allegations of a coup in China are as follows:
Social media users reported fewer passenger flights into and out of Beijing, as well as claims that all trains and buses had been canceled. However, according to the website of Beijing Capital International Airport, while some planes were canceled, others were planned, slightly delayed, or had already landed. However, China's air travel has not yet recovered to its pre-pandemic levels, which could be the cause of the statistics indicating fewer aircraft departing from Beijing.
"This video of military vehicles moving to Beijing comes immediately after the grounding of 59 percent of the flights in the country and the jailings of senior officials. There’s a lot of smoke, which means there is a fire somewhere inside the CCP. China is unstable," tweeted Gordon G Chang.
What did the experts comment?
The majority of China specialists have emphasized that there are no indications of the coup outside of social media comments. After returning from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, China specialist Aadil Brar highlighted that Xi is probably under quarantine, which would account for his absence from public affairs at the present.
"Lots of rumors this morning about a military coup in China. Nothing credible so far. Military coups are unlikely in China because the People's Liberation Army comes under the Central Military Commission. Xi, as General Secretary of the Communist Party, heads the CMC. The Army is that of the party, not the government," said Journalist Jacob in a tweet.
End statement: Is the president under house arrest?
Xi Jinping visited a Communist Party exhibition on Tuesday (September 27), appearing in public for the first time since his return from the SCO meeting on September 16, which made it clear that he was taking precautions after his travel. Mr. Xi had similarly avoided public appearances after returning from a visit to Hong Kong in July, per China's travel guidelines and "zero-COVID" policy, which requires arrivals to quarantine and isolate for 10 days.
In an attempt to dispel rumors and speculation about internal conflict within the CPC regarding Xi's continued leadership, the party declared on Sunday that all delegates, numbering close to 2,300, had been "elected" for the Congress by Xi's rules.
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