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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Helen Davidson in Taipei

‘He’s had a bad summer’: Xi faces calls to loosen grip as China’s crises mount

Xi sits behind a microphone with a Chinese flag next to him
Xi Jinping speaks at the Brics summit in South Africa. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock

At the Brics summit in South Africa in August, Xi Jinping made headlines when he failed to appear at a leaders’ meeting to deliver a scheduled speech.

Another scene also did the rounds: a Chinese aide hurrying to catch up with Xi, only to be body slammed by security guards and held back, flailing, as the president cruised on through the closing doors, not bothered by the chaos behind him.

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