The reporter has posted a video where she asks why people were so eager to spread the rumor Xi had a stroke.
First, she says, is the complete lack of transparency on the part of CCP, so nobody really knows what is going on. For the four days of the plenary session, authorities failed to publish any photos or videos of the event. Lacking evidence to the contrary, the rumors spread even more. The CCP clamped down on the availability of info, confiscating the cell phones of attendees, along with creating electromagnetic interference at the venue. CCP Central Office has to approve every single report coming from the meeting, and there was no live broadcasting permitted. In other words, the people have absolutely no idea what's going on with the leaders who control their lives, and so rumors are all they have. The CCP's efforts to stifle rumors - instead of simply providing information - only make it worse.
Second, she says, a "phenomenon"
did occur during the plenary session. A 10,000 word article published on the eve of the session touting Xi's wonderfulness was deleted within a day. This long article was intended to be a tribute to the session, and clearly had been approved for publication by the powers that be. So why was it deleted? No one knows.
Third, she notes, after the first day, there was a huge number of searches for "stroke" on the Chinese search engine, but then that search was censored. She seems to think Xi's death is the only cause for the Chinese populace to hope for change. They see his death as the only solution to the current political stalemate. She says that internationally, there also are many who hope Xi will "go away."
Fourth, there is the structure of the CCP itself. Unlike the US, China has no clear mechanism for succession of power in the event of the leader's sudden death. Xi eliminated term limits, and it appears he intends to remain in power forever, with no appointed successor
https://x.com/jenniferzeng97.
