Can Chen Jining be taller than Xi Jinping?

The height of Xi Jinping, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, is considered a state secret. (Video screenshot)

[People News] On the afternoon of July 12, Xi Jinping, the leader of the Communist Party, visited the Xincun residential area in Shanghai's Huangpu District for an inspection and research trip. During this visit, he put on a show of being close to the people, claiming to have encountered some unbelievable clichés and nonsense. On April 29, 2025, Xi also visited Shanghai to conduct research at the 'Mosu Space' large model innovation ecological community in the Xuhui District. Both visits were accompanied by Chen Jining, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee, along with Mayor Gong Zheng.

It is important to note the differences in the images provided in the two news reports from Xinhua News Agency. In 2025, despite rumors about Xi losing some of his party and military power, his image in the news photos still occupies a central position and appears taller than others.

In last year's news regarding the visit to 'Mosu Space', a total of six images were released. In each of these images, Xi is clearly positioned at the center, while Chen Jining and other officials are shorter than him in every picture. This approach to photography and editing clearly aims to emphasize Xi's 'tallness'.

So, who is actually taller, Chen Jining or Xi? Online sources suggest that Xi's height is either 1.75 meters or 1.78 meters, but Chen Jining's height has not been publicly disclosed. We can use Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee as a reference point. John Lee has publicly available photos with both Xi and Chen; he reaches Xi's brow bone but is below Chen's brow bone. Therefore, it seems that Chen Jining is likely slightly taller than Xi.

Interestingly, among the five images featured in this year's news, Xi Jinping's stature in the central position appears less striking, creating a more balanced visual with the other individuals in the frame. This is particularly evident in the second image, taken in a community office, where the angle of the shot surprisingly shows Chen Jining slightly taller than Xi. In the other images, even when Chen Jining is shorter than Xi, the difference is not as noticeable as it was last year.

Given the strict rules surrounding news reporting within the Communist Party, the presence of such images is likely not coincidental. Could this carry political significance? Might it hint at Chen Jining's future career trajectory?

(First published by People News)△