Researcher at Taiwan's Academia Sinica makes claim at forum

'Gait stability worse than in 2023,' scholar says

Footage of Xi descending stairs abroad analyzed

Health questions draw attention amid China's succession vacuum

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a tea reception in the Red Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 25 (local time). [AP]
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a tea reception in the Red Room of the White House in Washington on Oct. 25 (local time). [AP]

A Taiwan scholar has claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping, 73, is aging more rapidly than the average person and that his gait stability has declined compared with the past. The assertion has drawn attention amid lingering questions about Xi's health and China's power structure, which has no clear successor in place.

According to Taiwan's United Daily News and other local media, Tsai Wen-hsuan, a researcher at the Institute of Political Science at Taiwan's Academia Sinica, made the claim Monday at a forum organized by the Asia Political Economy Peace Exchange Association.

The forum was convened to discuss China's political situation, cross-strait relations and the broader international landscape following the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Tsai focused on footage of Xi descending the steps of his official aircraft during a visit to India in September, saying the video was worth studying. Tsai said Xi's gait stability this year appeared worse than in 2023.

Tsai particularly noted that Xi appeared to move his legs in a semicircular outward arc while descending stairs — a pattern sometimes described as a circumduction gait.

Tsai also raised the possibility that Xi's calf muscles had diminished, based on footage of him boarding his aircraft, but added that his cardiopulmonary function did not appear to show any major problems.

The claims represent one researcher's personal interpretation of publicly available video and do not constitute medical confirmation that Xi has any specific illness or that his health has deteriorated.

Questions about Xi's health have surfaced before.

The Wall Street Journal reported that during a summit between Xi and US President Donald Trump in September, the Chinese side made an unusual request for a break, prompting speculation that Xi's health may not be what it once was.

During a visit to Kyrgyzstan in August, video circulated online showing Xi slowly descending aircraft stairs while holding the hand of his wife, Peng Liyuan.

Xi was also seen holding Peng's hand on aircraft stairs during the 25th anniversary celebrations of Macao's handover in December 2024, footage that drew a range of interpretations from foreign media.

However, it is difficult to draw conclusions about a person's health from footage of stair descent or walking alone, and the information publicly available so far does not provide sufficient grounds for any specific assessment of Xi's condition.

The broader interest in Xi's health is tied to China's power structure. Xi has maintained a firm grip on power for an extended period without naming a clear successor, making the future composition of the leadership and the question of power succession key variables in Chinese politics.

With Xi widely expected to seek a fourth term next year, outside observation and interpretation of his health show no sign of abating.


sjy@heraldcorp.com