Why Was Zhao Leji in Such a Hurry to "Debunk" His Sudden Illness?

On March 8, 2024, during the second plenary session of the National People's Congress, Xi Jinping knocked on the table while addressing NPC Chairman Zhao Leji. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

[People News] Zhao Leji was absent from the closing meeting of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) on March 10–11, as well as the National People’s Congress (NPC) Presidium meeting and closing ceremony. NPC Vice Chairman Li Hongzhong publicly announced that Zhao was suffering from a "respiratory infection." However, just one day later, on March 12, Zhao suddenly appeared in public at a meeting with journalists covering the Two Sessions and even delivered a speech. This abrupt shift seemed highly unusual.

According to reports from Xinhua News Agency and CCTV’s evening news, Zhao met with journalists covering the Two Sessions on the afternoon of March 12, Beijing time, thanking them for their reporting efforts. The meeting was attended by Minister of the Central Propaganda Department Li Shulei, NPC Vice Chairman Li Hongzhong, and officials from various Chinese state media outlets. Zhao even praised the journalists for highlighting "General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important activities." From the video footage, Zhao appeared normal, showing no visible signs of illness.

This situation is odd because high-ranking officials like Zhao receive top-tier medical care and routine health checkups before attending important political events. Zhao was still participating in NPC meetings on March 8, yet two days later, he suddenly fell ill with a severe respiratory infection that prevented him from attending crucial sessions. Then, the very next day, he miraculously recovered and was able to deliver a speech with no signs of illness. Isn’t that suspicious?

What’s even more bizarre is that Li Hongzhong publicly announced Zhao Leji’s illness in front of more than 2,000 representatives—something unprecedented in CCP history, as the party has always treated such information as an absolute secret. Under normal circumstances, if a Politburo Standing Committee member suddenly fell ill and was unable to attend a meeting, the official announcement would typically be vague, stating something like, “Comrade so-and-so is unable to attend due to personal reasons and has entrusted someone else to represent them.” However, publicly disclosing specific details of Zhao’s illness was effectively a humiliation for him. This has fueled speculation that Zhao intended to follow Xi Jinping’s example of seeking reappointment and wanted to retain his position as NPC Chairman beyond the 21st Party Congress. Allegedly, Zhao insisted on attending the closing session despite being sick, but Xi rejected his request for fear of infection—a rumor that quickly spread. Many believe that if Zhao had only been mildly ill, he would have dragged himself to the meeting, even if he had to crawl, just to maintain appearances and demonstrate his authority.

Now, Zhao has suddenly reappeared, and although the move seems like a deliberate attempt to quash rumors, it has still caught the public off guard.

CCTV’s news coverage of the event did not include Zhao’s actual voice—instead, a news anchor narrated the report. The video repeatedly showed Zhao holding a script while delivering his speech, but from the footage, there were no visible signs that he had been seriously ill just the day before.

What Was the CCP’s True Intention Behind This Arrangement? Beyond the rumor that Zhao was denied entry to the closing session due to illness, there were two other major theories circulating: 1. Zhao had allegedly planned to leverage NPC authority to gather support and force Xi to relinquish the state chairman position, ultimately pushing Xi to step down at the 21st Party Congress. However, Xi learned of the plot in advance and took Zhao down first—but military factions intervened to protect Zhao. 2. Wang Huning, the chairman of the CPPCC, sought to succeed Zhao as NPC Chairman after stepping down from his current role. However, since Zhao is younger than Wang, Zhao’s continued presence blocked Wang’s path to promotion. Thus, Wang allegedly reported Zhao to Xi, leading to his sidelining.

In short, Zhao’s absence ignited widespread speculation about fierce power struggles within the CCP. Ultimately, it suggests that Zhao lost in this internal battle and was at least marginalized, if not completely stripped of influence.

The urgency with which the CCP orchestrated Zhao’s reappearance—or the possibility that Zhao himself was desperate to "prove" he was still politically active—suggests that there was a strong need to dispel speculation that something had happened to him.

However, Zhao’s sudden return to the public eye did not erase doubts. People continue to question how he could have fallen seriously ill one day and miraculously recovered the next, defying basic medical logic. As a result, speculation has only intensified.

Chinese netizens responded with skepticism: "The more they try to explain, the more suspicious it looks. Do they think people are stupid?" "Zhao is suddenly singing Xi Jinping’s praises. Is this a desperate loyalty pledge?"

"If Zhao had willingly skipped the closing ceremony, why did he rush to appear the next day? Clearly, he was either forcibly prevented from attending or feared showing up." "CCP leaders have access to the best medical care. If Zhao really was too sick to attend, he must have been seriously ill. But then he magically recovers overnight? Is this just an attempt to prove that COVID hasn’t reached Zhongnanhai?" Adding to the speculation, reports surfaced that China’s ambassador to the Republic of Congo, Li Yan, died in Beijing on February 27 at the age of 52. Some believe Zhao’s sudden reappearance was orchestrated to dismiss concerns about a potential outbreak inside Zhongnanhai—or that his political survival depended on proving his health amid the ongoing power struggles for the 21st Party Congress.

Former Chinese legal professional Du Wen remarked that Zhao’s appearance only confirmed suspicions that his previous "illness" was highly questionable. Du directly asked: "If Zhao Leji was not actually sick, then why didn’t he attend the NPC closing session?"