Xi joins tree planting and lifting half a bucket of water with primary school students, sparking speculation.

Recently, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, participated in a tree-planting activity, where a video of him and a primary school student carrying a half-bucket of water together went viral on the internet. This unusual act sparked speculations as in previous years Xi would carry the water bucket alone.

According to reports from official Chinese state media, on the morning of April 3rd, Xi Jinping, along with Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and other members of the Politburo Standing Committee, as well as Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, collectively traveled to plant trees by the Yongding River in Fengtai District of Beijing.

Initially released by CCTV, a video showed Xi Jinping stepping out of his car with a worried expression, moving slowly while greeting the crowd. However, this short footage has been deleted by CCTV.

During the process of watering the trees, it was observed from the video that Xi Jinping and a primary school student were jointly carrying a small plastic water bucket with less than half full of water. This behavior was noticeably different from Xi’s tree-planting actions in the past two years. In early April 2024, while planting trees in Lugou Town, Tongzhou District of Beijing, Xi Jinping was seen watering with a bucket; in April 2023, despite light rain, Xi wore a white raincoat to participate in tree planting and completed the watering independently.

The image of Xi Jinping carrying half a bucket of water together with a primary school student this year raised speculation about his diminished physical condition.

Last summer, there were frequent rumors circulating about Xi Jinping suffering from serious illnesses, undergoing surgery, and so on. After the Beidaihe Conference, when the newly appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Su Lin, visited China and met with Xi Jinping, the official welcome ceremony and meeting video did not initially show close-ups of Xi. Xinhua News Agency delayed at least two hours before releasing his close-up footage, further fueling various speculations.

During the closing ceremony of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on March 11th, foreign media captured Xi Jinping exhibiting unusual behavior, seemingly constantly rubbing his hands on his legs, leading to suspicions of a certain illness.

From March 19th to 20th, during Xi Jinping’s inspection in Yunnan, videos circulated online showing him appearing tired, aged, with a head full of white hair, a forced smile, and a bulky appearance, possibly due to wearing a bulletproof vest, making him walk slowly.

In a video program, overseas commentator Li Muyang expressed that from the deleted footage at the beginning, Xi Jinping appeared dark and yellowish, seemingly burdened, greeting the crowd without much enthusiasm.

Li Muyang pointed out that there have been many rumors recently suggesting that although Xi Jinping remains in his position, he has lost power, and when he will step down is only awaiting an official announcement. Is Xi Jinping’s seemingly wry smile an expression of his inner anxiety?

During the tree-planting activity attended by the top Chinese Communist Party officials this year, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, He Weidong, did not participate, and previous rumors about He Weidong’s arrest by the military have not been publicly denied.

Commentator Zhou Xiaohui wrote on the Epoch Times that following the news of He Weidong’s incident, further reports emerged about the investigation of several generals related to the Eastern Theater Command, including Lin Xiangyang. If He Weidong and others encounter trouble, is it orchestrated by Xi or is it the result of the purge supported by the CCP’s old guard under Zhang Youxia to eliminate Xi’s supporters within the military? Many signs suggest the latter.