Central Media’s Coverage of Xi’s Arrival in Vietnam Shows Anomalies – Absence of Vietnamese Military Officers in Welcoming Crowd

Vietnam’s newly appointed General Secretary and President, To Lam, visited China from August 18 to 20 at the invitation of Xi Jinping. (Video screenshot)

[People News] On April 14, around noon, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping arrived in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, beginning the first leg of his Southeast Asia tour. CCP state media gave prominent coverage to the visit. However, compared with Xi’s visit to Vietnam in December 2023, this time the report by China Central Television (CCTV) displayed several anomalies.

First Anomaly: Shorter Report with More Footage of Vietnamese Officials

In 2023, the news segment lasted 4 minutes and 14 seconds; this year it was cut to 3 minutes and 44 seconds. Don’t underestimate the 30-second reduction—within CCP media, where everything is highly politicised and must follow Party protocols, shortening news coverage of the Party leader is no small matter.

In both reports, most footage focused on the welcoming crowd and banners. The segment showing Xi’s motorcade starting and driving through the streets lasted about 1 minute and 10 seconds this year, compared to approximately 1 minute and 24 seconds in 2023. So, 14 seconds were cut from that portion.

This suggests that the footage from Xi’s exit from the aircraft, his handshake with Vietnamese officials, and his boarding the motorcade was also trimmed by 16 seconds. Part of that cut was from the welcome scene itself. This year, Xi appeared on screen for roughly 50 seconds, with nearly 35 seconds showing handshakes with Vietnamese President To Lam and other officials. In 2023, Xi was on screen for about 33 seconds, with only 13 seconds devoted to handshakes with Vietnamese officials. The increase in footage of Vietnamese officials highlights Vietnam’s growing importance amid the U.S.-China tariff war and suggests Beijing now treats Vietnam with less aloofness than before. Xi’s personal footage was reduced slightly as well.

Second Anomaly: Fewer Solo Shots of Xi Waving

This year, after stepping out of the aircraft and waving to the Vietnamese officials and welcoming crowd, the camera immediately shifted to the welcome scene. When it returned to Xi, he was already descending the stairway to greet To Lam.

In contrast, in 2023, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan stepped out, waved, the camera showed the crowd, then returned to focus on Xi and Peng still waving. This pattern repeated again a few seconds later. Such an arrangement was clearly meant to emphasise how warmly Xi was received. So why skip it this time?

In both reports, Xi was shown waving to the crowd as he walked toward the car. But in 2023, there was also footage of him waving just before getting into the vehicle—this year, that scene was omitted. Is the reduction in solo shots of Xi waving an attempt to diminish his stature?

Third Anomaly: No Footage of Xi Descending Aircraft Stairs – Possible Health Issue

In 2023, CCTV showed a distant shot of Xi and Peng holding hands while descending the stairs—it took 3 to 4 seconds.

This year, CCTV only showed Xi appearing at the aircraft door and then a shot of him already partway down the stairs. The actual descent was skipped, with the camera instead showing Vietnamese officials and the crowd. From the 32-second mark (Xi waving) to the 46-second mark (Xi about to finish descending), there is a 10-second gap. It’s highly likely he took longer than before and may have used the handrail for support.

Vietnamese media footage appears to show Xi walking unsteadily after exiting the aircraft. This abnormal coverage by CCTV indirectly supports speculation that Xi’s health has deteriorated significantly since a year ago.

Fourth Anomaly: Blink-and-Miss Shots of Cai Qi and Wang Yi

Xi was accompanied by Politburo Standing Committee member and General Office Director Cai Qi, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong. CCTV gave them only fleeting shots as they exited the aircraft—Cai Qi and Wang Yi appeared for just one second.

In 2023, CCTV devoted at least 3 seconds to each of them, with even more footage for others. Could this reflect a weakening of Cai Qi’s power?

Fifth Anomaly: No Vietnamese Military Officers in Welcoming Crowd

While CCTV footage showed that Vietnam welcomed Xi with high-level protocol and seemingly enthusiastic crowds, one major difference from 2023 was the absence of Vietnamese military personnel.

In 2023, as Xi’s motorcade left the airport, the camera captured Vietnamese officers holding flags and chanting “Welcome, welcome” three times—likely due to Xi’s role as head of the Central Military Commission. This year, no military figures were visible in the welcoming crowd. Does this suggest that reports of Xi losing control of the military aren’t just rumours, and that Vietnam may already be aware?

CCTV’s quiet downgrading of coverage for Xi’s trip abroad and its reduction of footage for figures like Cai Qi and Wang Yi clearly reflect internal power shifts in the CCP. One very obvious question arises: if Xi still held full power, and if Cai Qi were still in charge of propaganda, such changes would not have occurred. The fact that they did—combined with other recent signs, such as the arrests of Xi's allies in the military and the reshuffling of the Central Organisation Department—can only mean one thing: power at Zhongnanhai has already changed hands.

(Originally published by People News)