Chinese President Xi Jinping has a ‘cerebral aneurysm’ and had to be admitted to a hospital towards the end of 2021, according to a DNA report. 

He reportedly favoured traditional Chinese medicine over surgery, which softens blood arteries and lowers aneurysms.

A cerebral aneurysm is an abnormal focal dilatation of a cerebral artery caused by a weakening of the inner muscle layer (the intima) of a blood vessel wall.

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There have been concerns about Xi’s health in recent months, as he has avoided visiting foreign leaders since the onset of COVID-19 until the Beijing Winter Olympics.

During Xi’s visit to Italy in March 2019, his walk was seen to be peculiar, with a detectable limp, and later in France during the same tour, he was seen seeking support when attempting to sit down.

Likewise, during a public talk in Shenzhen in October 2020, his late arrival, delayed speech, and coughing fit fueled suspicion about his health.

These allegations come as China’s economy is strained by rising oil and gas prices, supply chain disruptions caused by the Ukraine conflict, and stringent enforcement of the zero-covid policy.

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With Xi Jinping eyeing a record third term, the country has made a tactical decision to temporarily halt its focus on “common prosperity,” heaping penalties on internet giants, and instead hustle to stabilise the economy, which is already under strain, as per ANI.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is deliberately turning away from its “shared prosperity” strategy in the run-up to the upcoming 20th Party Congress since the country does not want to become a less inviting market for investors due to the economic decline.

As Xi prepares to get re-elected for a third five-year term later this year, he has attempted to portray China as more prosperous, influential, and stable under his rule.

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Some of China’s largest cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, are experiencing one of the country’s worst Covid-19 epidemics, with tens of thousands of inhabitants being placed under “forced” lockdown for the past month.