Chinese leader Xi Jinping has become the subject of fresh online health speculation following his arrival in the United States for a state visit with President Donald Trump on Wednesday. A video circulated on social media showing Xi tightly clutching his wife Peng Liyuan's hand whilst descending aircraft stairs, with Chinese activists and exiled figures interpreting this as a sign of physical weakness or stroke symptoms. The speculation comes just days after Xi skipped a gala dinner at the BRICS summit in India, reportedly due to being unwell.

The article details how various online commentators have offered their own interpretations of the footage, claiming it shows Xi unable to support his own weight or suffering from neurological issues. This represents the latest episode in a long pattern of health rumours surrounding Xi, including past claims of heart attacks, cancer and strokes, though many such rumours have previously been disproven or based on misinterpreted evidence. The Wall Street Journal reported that Xi's absence from the Indian gala was due to illness, whilst a separate incident at the BRICS summit involving Indian PM Narendra Modi pausing his speech was later clarified to be caused by a faulty translator earpiece rather than any health emergency.