During President Xi Jinping’s stay in Washington, unusual requests from the Chinese delegation have once again focused attention on speculation about his health and, at the same time, the issue of political succession in China.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, Chinese officials requested that Xi have sufficient opportunities to rest during his meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump. Among the requests was the provision of a private room in the West Wing of the White House, where he could withdraw between activities.
The newspaper’s sources said that only his wife, Peng Liyuan, could accompany him in that space, while other members of the delegation, including Chief of Staff Cai Qi, were not permitted to use it.
Another detail that drew attention was the decision not to hold a working lunch between Xi and Trump on September 24. Instead, the summit agenda included a roughly five-hour interval without official activities, which sources said had been set aside for rest.
The evening of Xi’s arrival in Washington also included no official activities. On the final day of the visit, September 25, his stay at the U.S. National Archives lasted about 10 minutes, significantly less than American organizers had anticipated.
However, these developments do not in themselves constitute evidence of a health problem. Xi had traveled about 14 hours from Beijing, and the time difference may have affected the schedule of the visit.
People familiar with the preparations said the Chinese president’s schedule had been drawn up with consideration for how long he could remain standing, the distances he could walk and the times when he would need to rest.
Dennis Wilder, a former senior director for China at the U.S. National Security Council, described the creation of a separate rest area for a foreign leader during a state visit as unusual.
On the other hand, President Donald Trump also had periods without official activities on his schedule during his visit to Beijing at the beginning of the year.
Discussions about Xi Jinping’s physical condition did not emerge for the first time during his visit to Washington. They intensified after a visit to Europe in 2019, when he was observed moving with difficulty and using supports while walking.
During his latest visit to the United States, Xi was also seen in some footage using handrails and leaning on his wife while going up and down stairs.
However, Xi has appeared publicly alongside Peng Liyuan for years and, on some occasions, holds her hand, so these images cannot in themselves be considered an indication of a health problem.
Analysts of Chinese politics have likewise reported no obvious signs of a decline in his cognitive abilities during his public appearances.
