Xi Jinping Out of Power? Six Abnormal Signs in Meeting with Belarusian President

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] Following rumours that CCP leader Xi Jinping’s power has been weakened, and his semi-disappearance for half a month, on the morning of June 4, Chinese state media reported that Xi met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at Zhongnanhai. However, the entire meeting displayed six unusual abnormalities:

1. Xi Did Not Meet Lukashenko Immediately — Who Did Lukashenko See First?

Lukashenko arrived in Beijing on June 2. Normally, a head of state would rest one night and meet the top Chinese leader the next day, as happened during previous visits: on March 1, 2023, and again on December 4 for an informal visit.

But this time, the meeting occurred a day later. It is highly irregular that Lukashenko, clearly not in China for sightseeing, didn't meet Xi promptly. Could Lukashenko have first met the real power broker behind the scenes on June 3? The publicised meeting with Chinese business figures may have been a smokescreen.

2. Lukashenko’s Visit Was Neither Official nor Working — No Ceremonial Welcome, No Formal Talks, No Agreements

According to Belarusian media, the meeting was held in Zhongnanhai with an initial “tea talk,” followed by a one-on-one discussion and a friendly lunch.

Belarusian First Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov, who is currently in China, emphasised in an interview with reporters the special nature of Lukashenko’s visit. He stated:  "The formal talks are merely a supplementary part. The key lies in the visit itself — this kind of exchange format has never been applied to any other world leader. It is a family-style, friendly luncheon, and that is the core of the visit. … This is neither a working visit nor an official state visit, but rather a special visit specifically for a family-style friendly luncheon..."

It is unclear whether this explanation is an excuse to justify the unusual format of the visit or an attempt to gloss things over. In any case, according to the Belarusian deputy prime minister's statement, such a "family-style friendly luncheon" is said to better reflect the friendship between the two sides. However, in reality, a relaxed occasion like this can only serve as a supplement to formal talks, not a replacement. If world leaders all adopted this approach, how would serious topics ever be properly discussed?

And would Lukashenko truly accept this “respect” without a formal ceremony? It may actually reflect a lapse in protocol from Xi and the CCP. Perhaps the CCP privately explained the internal upheaval to Belarus in advance, and Lukashenko received certain assurances.

Why would Xi lose the ability to hold formal talks with a foreign president? Only if he had already lost real power.

3. The Meeting’s Location — Zhongnanhai — Was Highly Unusual

Zhongnanhai is the central headquarters of the CCP and the State Council. During Mao and Deng’s time, its Ziguang Pavilion hosted high-level foreign meetings. But from Jiang Zemin onward, such meetings primarily took place in the Great Hall of the People or Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Zhongnanhai has been used only rarely, for informal and close exchanges.

Over the past year or so, meetings between Xi Jinping and foreign leaders have predominantly taken place at the Great Hall of the People and Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Only on very rare occasions are guests invited into Zhongnanhai for private conversations. For example, on the evening of May 16, 2024, Xi Jinping held a small-scale meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Yingtai in Zhongnanhai, where they “sat by the water, enjoying fragrant tea” while “engaging in in-depth discussions on strategic issues of mutual concern.” However, earlier that day, Xi and Putin had held a formal meeting at the Great Hall of the People.

Is Beijing’s relationship with Belarus really as close as that with Russia to warrant such arrangements? Likely not. During Lukashenko’s two visits to China in 2023—whether state or informal, Xi met with him at the Great Hall of the People. This time, however, the meeting was arranged as a family-style lunch at Zhongnanhai, with no formal talks held at the Great Hall or Diaoyutai, which is highly unusual.

From the footage aired by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, the meeting between Xi and Lukashenko did not take place at Ziguang Pavilion or Yingtai, but rather in a modest-looking hall with simple interior decor, not luxurious at all. Compared to the treatment afforded to Putin, this was notably less grand. Could this unusual arrangement be due to Xi's movements being restricted?

4. No Photos Under National Flags

Unusually, the official media did not publish any photos or videos of Xi and Lukashenko with their national flags in the background. Previous meetings always had this symbolic setup. The CCTV footage confirmed: no flags, a circle of people sitting casually, clearly not a formal diplomatic setting.

Does this suggest Xi can no longer represent China in an official capacity? Perhaps the entire meeting was a staged performance to hide the political shift before it’s formally announced.

5. Lukashenko Changed Tone — No More Praise for Xi

According to Chinese media, Lukashenko only said: “This is my 15th visit to China. Every time I feel the deep friendship of the Chinese side,” and “Belarus highly trusts China and will continue to develop relations.” He did not mention Xi at all.

Let’s look again at Lukashenko’s two visits to China in 2023—how did he speak of Xi during those meetings? In the December meeting, he repeatedly praised Xi, saying that under Xi's leadership, “China has achieved tremendous development, and over 1.4 billion Chinese people are living happily... President Xi Jinping’s successful governance experience benefits all and is worth learning from.” He also said Xi’s proposed global initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, are “great undertakings that truly unite international consensus and cooperation,” and that Belarus would continue to actively participate.

In the March meeting, Lukashenko said that Xi “is deeply beloved by the Chinese people and enjoys high prestige around the world, which I deeply admire.” He added that “under President Xi’s strong leadership, China will continue to achieve new and remarkable successes,” and expressed firm support for and active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Development Initiative—all proposed by Xi.

However, in the most recent meeting, Lukashenko dramatically changed his tone: he did not mention Xi by name and offered no praise for him. There is only one reason for this shift—Xi has, in fact, lost power.

6. CCTV Coverage Was Strikingly Short

CCTV’s report on this meeting lasted only 1 minute and 32 seconds, very short for a head-of-state meeting. In contrast, the December 2023 meeting coverage lasted 3 minutes 10 seconds; The March 2023 meeting was 5 minutes 21 seconds. Who is restricting Xi’s screen time?

These six anomalies strongly suggest the rumours of Xi’s power shift are not baseless. With leaders from Vietnam (To Lam), the U.S. (Trump), Russia (Putin), and now Belarus reportedly aware of the internal power dynamics, the day when the CCP officially unveils the truth may be near.

(Originally published by People News)