BBC Pidgin of Sunday, 23 October 2022

Source: BBC

Hu Jintao: Video of moment China former leader mysteriously exit dia party congress dey raise questions

Hu Jintao (centre) bin siddon next to im successor Xi Jinping (right) before dem escort am out Hu Jintao (centre) bin siddon next to im successor Xi Jinping (right) before dem escort am out

Footage of China former leader, Hu Jintao ask dem ask am to leave di stage for di Great Hall of di pipo for Beijing during di Communist Party Congress dey draw global attention as pipo dey try to work out wetin just happun. Plenti questions full ground and no answers so far from di Chinese goment. Mr Hu, 79, appear like psin wey dey reluctant to move. If dat na di case, why? Wetin e say to di man wey replace am, Xi Jinping, wey make China current leader nod im head? And wetin e tell im protégé, Li Keqing, as e tap am for im shoulder before dem comot am from di stage? Di two most likely reasons for im departure na say na either part of China power politics on full display, with a leader wey bin represent a former time as dem symbolically remove am, or say Hu Jintao get serious health problems. E happun for di end of di Communist Party week-long congress, wey cement Mr Xi position as China most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. On di first day of di congress, Mr Hu bin only dey able to waka enta with di assistance of one official. On dat day, e no too look strong. However, if dem lead am away at di end because of ill-health, why e happun so suddenly? Why in front of di cameras? Shey na emergency? One longer edit of di footage dem take on Saturday show as Xi Jinping turn to di former party chairman and also, to Mr Hu left, senior figures Li Zhanshu and Wang Huning appear to show concern. Mr Li even move to help am at one point, but e be like Mr Wang pull am back, as if to say, "No involve yourself for dis." Afta Hu Jintao stand up, e also reach out to take Mr Xi notes by mistake. At dis stage, e appear like pesin wey confuse. China leader move Mr Hu hand and take di notes back. The Communist Party mass meetings na normally highly scripted events, na im make speculation dey say di timing of Hu Jintao departure fit no be accident. E attend di earlier closed-door session on di last day of di Congress, den dem allow cameras in for di final portion of di day. Na just afta dem set up di cameras officials approach Mr Hu and indicate sya make e go. Di party no dey normally air dia dirty laundry in public. If dis na deliberate show, no be usual behaviour. Wetin dey na also say Hu Jintao represent a very different model for China from dat of Xi Jinping. E run leadership wey dey much more collective and bin get to balance various factions wey dey represented on di Politburo Standing Committee. Di Hu years - wia e hold presidency between 2003 and 2013 - na sometin wey dey seen as time of opening up to di outside world and increased tolerance of new ideas. Di 2008 Beijing Olympics na peak time for international exposure. Foreign companies bin dey set up here, tourists dey flood in, di internet dey more free, local media outlets start to dey do decent journalism and China global reputation bin constantly dey improve. While some don refer to di Hu period as "wasted", economic growth bin consistently dey in double digits and Beijing care about im reputation elsewhere. Xi Jinping don carri di kontri go a very different direction, with im being at di "centre" and pesin wey dem no fit challenge. Di current goment don encourage explosion in nationalist sentiment, showing little concern for wetin anyone else tink about im handling of anytin. Instead, di message for oda leaders don be say China time don arrive and you go mess with disnation at your own risk. Di message for Chinese pipo fit dey seen in additions to di Party constitution, wey refer to achievements made through "struggle". Dis one echoe Mao Zedong time in office. As General Secretary, from di onset, Mr Xi take out all opponents through anti-corruption crackdown. Now, e don use dis year Congress to clear out any last remnants of those wey tink dey suppose be different paths economically, socially and politically. If e realise wetin dey go on, one of di last tins Mr Hu see for di Congress na say di make-up of di new 205-person Central Committee. No include Li Keqiang or Wang Yang, both wey pipo see as economic liberals, both linked to di ideas of the former administration. E point to a new Politburo Standing Committee, full with Xi loyalists, wey guarantee di continuity of a trajectory wey dey very different to di reform and opening up in di era of Hu Jintao.