'No sign of coup in China' say experts after the social media buzz of a possible coup in the country.
Different individuals on social media platforms had speculated that there could be an ongoing coup in China. This came after the public didn't see China's Leader Xi Jinping after returning from the SCO summit in Uzbekistan.
However, the Chinese Communist Party or the state media has not confirmed nor denied any occurrence of a coup in the country. Moreover, Newsvot gathered that the social media accounts peddling the news of the coup are neither verified nor experts.
Could Xi Jinping Be Under House arrest?
It was reported that the last time the public saw Xi Jinping was after he returned from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan.
This summit also had some world leaders in attendance, such as Russian president Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Experts have come out to say that instead of being under house arrest, there's a greater possibility of the Chinese president following the country's strict 'Zero Covid Policy’.
According to Aadil Brar, a News expert, "Xi is most likely in quarantine after coming back from SCO. There is no coup. It looks like many alt-media in India picked up the rumor."
Drew Thomson, a scholar with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, also said that the rumor about a coup happening in China was BS. He says the latest rumor about the China coup is " wishful thinking."
Speaking further, he said, "The rumor that Xi Jinping has been arrested has legs because it is such a sensitive political moment in China, and the recent trials (and convictions) of long-serving senior officials create a hothouse atmosphere."
When asked how China would look if a successful coup were carried out, Thompson said: "It really is a story about the opaqueness and the uncertainty around high-level Chinese succession. Looking back through history to 1949, succession between top leaders has been fraught. Hu Jintao was the first successful transition of power where no one was imprisoned or died … Xi Jinping has created an entirely new paradigm where no successor has been identified, which raises questions about what would succession look like if it was unplanned or uncontrolled?"
How Will the Communist Party Meeting Look After China's ex-justice minister's Sentence
The Communist party congress begins on 16 October, and there are speculations about what the party meeting will look like after China's ex-justice minister is sentenced to life imprisonment.
The former Chinese justice minister Fu Zhenghua, convicted based on bribery allegations exceeding 117m yuan ($16.50m), got his sentence on 22 September 2022, as reported by The Guardian.
There is also speculation that the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, could get a further term in office. Xi Jinping Allies could also be promoted to higher positions in the Chinese government.