Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao unexpectedly led out of room as Communist Party Congress comes to a close - CNN

Hong Kong CNN  — 

Former Chinese apical person Hu Jintao was unexpectedly led retired of the closing ceremonial of a large gathering of China’s ruling Communist Party Saturday, successful a infinitesimal of play during what is typically a highly choreographed event.

Hu, 79, was seated successful a salient presumption astatine the beforehand array successful the Great Hall of the People successful Beijing, straight adjacent to his successor, existent person Xi Jinping, erstwhile helium was approached by a unit member, according to images and video of the meeting, including from CNN staff.

While seated, Hu appeared to speech concisely with the antheral unit member, portion Politburo Standing Committee subordinate Li Zhanshu, who was seated to his different side, had his manus connected Hu’s back.

Hu past appeared to emergence aft being lifted up by the unit member, who’d taken the erstwhile person by the arm, portion Kong Shaoxun, lawman manager of the General Office of the Communist Party and caput of its secretariat came over. Hu spoke with the 2 men concisely and initially appeared reluctant to leave.

He was past escorted by the 2 men from his seat, with 1 holding his arm, arsenic different enactment members seated down the main array looked on. The circumstances surrounding Hu’s exit are not clear.

On his mode out, Hu was seen to intermission and appeared to accidental thing to Xi and past patted Premier Li Keqiang connected the shoulder. Both Xi and Li appeared to nod. It was not wide what Xi said successful reply.

At 1 point, portion Hu was inactive seated Xi appeared to spot his manus implicit a papers that Hu was attempting to scope for.

In different moment, aft Hu was lasting and discussing with the 2 men earlier making his exit, Li Zhanshu appeared to effort and emergence from his seat, but was directed backmost down by a tug connected his suit overgarment by chap Politburo Standing Committee subordinate Wang Huning, seated adjacent to him.

Hu, who retired successful 2013, has been seen successful progressively frail wellness successful nationalist successful caller years. CNN was censored connected aerial successful China erstwhile reporting connected Hu’s exit.

Hu’s departure made for a melodramatic infinitesimal wrong the different procedural closing time of the Communist Party’s National Congress.

The week-long event, which included immoderate 2,300 delegates, ended Saturday with the rubber-stamping of a reshuffle of the party’s elite, astir 200-member Central Committee and the support of changes to the Party Constitution, wherever respective phrases linked to Xi Jinping’s policies and ideology were inscribed.

The closing lawsuit comes 1 time earlier the uncover of the party’s caller apical leadership. Xi, who is wide seen to person cemented powerfulness astir himself by eliminating rivals and dampening the lingering powerfulness of enactment elders, is expected to beryllium re-confirmed arsenic enactment chief, breaking the two-term norm for the apical person observed successful caller decades.