Images of former President Hu Jintao’s forced departure from Communist Party Congress have shocked the world as it recalls the Mao-era purges
Except in China, where they have not been released, images of former President Hu Jintao’s forced departure from the Communist Party Congress have shocked the world with the memory of the Mao-era purges. We’ve all seen the video where Hu opposes being taken. But why? What happened before?
In these exclusive photos, ABC shows the sequence that led to his eviction. An order from his successor, Xi Jinping, because Hu wanted to see some documents in his congressional delegate folder. What was in those papers? We’re trying to find out with these unique photos, which have sparked all the speculation. That’s how they were taken.
After waiting nearly two hours for the 2,300 delegates to vote for the 203 members of the Central Committee, the doors opened to journalists and we entered the race for a good seat on the front rows of the second floor of the Central Committee. Grand Palace of the Village. A while before that, a group of Arab journalists had tried to sneak up on me, and after nearly 18 years in China and four Communist Party congresses, I knew I had to be quick if I wanted to get good photos of a historic moment like Xi’s continuation. Jinping.
So I was already sitting with the 400 telephoto lens mounted on the camera and after jumping a few benches, I positioned myself at the edge of the amphitheater. And since we also didn’t know how much time we had, I started shooting Xi and Hu, who looked puzzled at a piece of paper during a break in the session, stopped to let the media in. But by his side, the regime’s number three and National People’s Assembly President Li Zhanshu kept it in his red folder and even grabbed his wrist so he wouldn’t take it out.
At that point, Xi Jinping was looking directly at the second floor where the reporters were standing, and in the first photo I took, it looks like he’s staring at the target. Meanwhile, Hu Jintao tried to see the papers in his folder again and Li Zhanshu stopped him. It was then that Xi called an assistant and ordered him to bring one of his bodyguards, who has been with him for over ten years. When he appeared before him, and as he listened to him, the bodyguard already laid his hands on Hu’s chair.
As soon as Hu heard Xi give the order, his face changed. Beside him, Li Zhanshu and the regime’s ideologue, Wang Huning, were puzzled. The rest is history: Former President Hu Jintao was dragged outside while the bodyguard picked up the folder containing his documents, which are exposed in multiple shots. Although not clearly visible from a distance, some characters can be seen revealing an electoral list with the members of the Central Committee and the Disciplinary Commission.
One hypothesis is that Hu is upset because none of his allies appear in them, as has happened, and Xi decides to remove him from the room so he doesn’t retaliate by not raising his hand in the weapon show votes going for the press take place. The other is that Hu, at the age of 79 and in poor health, does not own his actions. Despite this, he is aware that he is being kicked out and does not want to leave. Anyway, Xi looks back at the reporters and is unmoved as he makes this powerhouse. He doesn’t even turn around when Hu says something to him as he says goodbye. Hu then puts his hand on the shoulder of his protégé, Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who stares straight ahead the entire time.
No one in the dome except Zhang Dejiang watches Hu Jintao as he is led away. Nobody has seen anything, nobody knows anything. Neither the Chinese journalists, who downplay the incident as a health problem, nor the 2,300 delegates. When I leave the Great Hall of the People, I watch for any explosive statements. In front of a group of cameras, an ethnic minority deputy dressed in traditional costume sings a song with a smile.
After the closed-door portion of the session, the press will be allowed access to the second floor of the amphitheater of the Great Hall of the People to take photos of the closing of the XX Congress of the Communist Party. Former President of China Hu Jintao sits to the left of Xi Jinping reading a document and looking puzzled. Xi Jinping looks up to the second floor, where journalists set up their cameras.
Hu Jintao tries again to look at the documents, which are in a red folder. To his left, the regime’s number three and National People’s Assembly Speaker Li Zhanshu prevents him from doing so while Xi Jinping watches the situation. Due to Hu’s advanced age, 79, and deteriorating health, Li Zhanshu looked after him throughout the session.
In fact, to keep Hu Jintao from opening the folder, Li Zhanshu holds his hand. At that point, Xi Jinping leans back slightly and turns his head to the left, calling for an assistant at that end of the stage. To Xi Jinping’s right, Prime Minister Li Keqiang continues to stare straight ahead, while in the second row, the three senior officials sitting right behind Hu stare.
Kong Shaoxun, deputy director of the General Office of the Central Committee, immediately appears, to whom Xi Jinping gives an order that seems quite clear from the assistant’s index finger gesture. Surprised, Kong Shaoxun raises his right hand and points to Hu Jintao and one of the side exits. Meanwhile, Li Zhanshu and the regime’s ideologue, Wang Huning, hold onto the folders so that Hu Jintao won’t open them.
Next comes a security guard. He’s not a congressman because he doesn’t have a badge on his jacket like the others. Later it turns out that he is the bodyguard who has accompanied Xi Jinping for more than ten years. With vigorous gestures with his right hand, which he sweeps up and down, Xi orders the bodyguard to take Hu Jintao, whose face changes when he hears it. Beside him, Li Zhanshu and Wang Huning also look puzzled as the second row continues to watch.
The bodyguard touches Hu Jintao’s documents and tells him to leave the room. Beside him, Li Zhanshu is dumbfounded, and Wang Huning can’t help but stare at it. With a fearless gesture, Xi Jinping keeps his eyes straight ahead and doesn’t even consider the scene like the one in the second row. He has given the order and is only waiting for it to be carried out.
Between the bodyguard and the deputy director of the General Office, Kong Shaoxun, Hu Jintao is lifted from the chair, who has resisted sitting for more than a minute. The looks say everything. As Hu looks at Xi in disbelief, Xi looks down on him, but does not give in to his pleas to stay.
Even when he gets up, Hu Jintao still doesn’t want to leave and tries to wriggle free from the bodyguard, who grabs his arm and waves him out with his documents. Embarrassed by the incident, number three Li Zhanshu wipes the sweat from his cheeks while Wang Huning’s mouth remains open. Xi Jinping watches them and Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Hu’s protégé, remains absent, looking straight ahead.
In a few seconds that seem endless, Hu Jintao refuses to leave and pulls on his arm to free himself from the security guard. Li Zhanshu makes a move to get up to help him, but behind him, Wang Huning grabs his coat to make him sit down again and stay out of the way. Xi Jinping looks back up to the second floor, where the cameras are. Although it is not clear, the documents the agent has with him that Hu wanted to see are the electoral lists of the Central Committee and the Commission for Discipline Inspection, where his allies have been eliminated.
Finally, after arguing with the bodyguard for half a minute, Hu Jintao gives in and agrees to leave. Before leaving, he turns back to Xi Jinping, who answers without barely looking at him. You can see from the fold of the coat that the guard takes Hu away to talk to Xi.
Hu Jintao walks past him and puts his hand on the Prime Minister’s husband, Li Keqiang, who like him belongs to the Communist Youth League faction and was his favorite to succeed him as president ten years ago. But Xi Jinping came forward and has since purged Hu’s closest associates. Xi looks at the scene with a half smile.
Head down, Hu Jintao right behind his former prime minister, Wen Jiabao, who doesn’t even look at him. Except for Zhang Dejiang, who is now retired, the entire leadership remains unmoved and stares straight ahead. Even veteran Song Ping, who is 105 years old and was Hu Jintao’s mentor. As you can see in the picture, his eyes are open and he is not sleeping like when speeches are being read. Nobody does anything and when it’s for health reasons everyone behaves in the coldest way. They take former President Hu Jintao.
Source: La Verdad
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