Xi Jinping trends online amid coup rumors, Canceled flights
Chinese President Xi Jinping has become one of the top trending topics on Twitter, despite unconfirmed rumors that he is under house arrest and that China is undergoing a military coup.
After tens of thousands of people posted unverified allegations that the president had been detained and deposed by China’s People’s Liberation Army, Xi, the hashtag #ChinaCoup trended on social media.
This notion, which has not been reported by any credible sources, comes as there are few commercial flights flying over Beijing on Saturday, with unsubstantiated reports suggesting all trains and buses are also being canceled out of Beijing. The website of Beijing Capital Airport shows that numerous flights out of China’s capital have been canceled, while many more are still scheduled or have already landed. According to rumors, the clashes were canceled due to a planned military drill.
Xi Jinping trends online amid coup rumors, Canceled flights
A widely shared video on Twitter is reportedly said to show an 80-kilometre-long line of military trucks coming into Beijing amid allegations of a military coup on September 22.
However, because the footage is less than one minute long, it is unclear whether the line of military vehicles stretches 80 kilometers. It is unknown when or where the video was shot, or whether the convoy is on its way to Beijing as part of a military coup.
Indian politician Subramanian Swamy fanned the theory by tweeting to his 10 million followers on Saturday: “Is Xi Jinping [sic] under house arrest in Beijing, according to a new rumor? When Xi was in Samarkand recently, the Chinese Communist Party’s authorities were said to have removed Xi from the Party’s command of the army. Then came house arrest. So goes the story.”
“Because it is such a delicate political moment in China, and the recent trials (and convictions) of long-serving top officials creates a hothouse atmosphere,” Thompson wrote.
“The open talk of opposition to Xi lends credence to the rumors. Despite the absence of evidence, speculation about Xi’s internal resistance lingers. This adds credence to the rumor, or desire for some, that Xi will be detained.”
Frida Ghitis, an international affairs columnist and former CNN correspondent, likewise discounted China’s “wild accusations.”
“Social media is ablaze with allegations that China has been overthrown and that Xi Jinping has been placed under house arrest. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.”
President Xi was recently in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders’ conference, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rumours or Reality: PLA about to take over China?
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— The Asian Mirror (@asian_mirror_1) September 24, 2022
