Why former Chinese leader Hu Jintao was highest profile absentee from Jiang Zemin’s funeral
- The 80-year-old did attend a brief pre-cremation ceremony on Monday, but did not appear at Tuesday’s longer funeral service
- His last public appearance saw him escorted out of a major Communist Party event, sparking speculation about his health and relationship with Xi Jinping
An official source said Hu and some other party elders did not attend Tuesday’s funeral because “they could not stand up for that long, given their age”.
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Xi Jinping pays tribute to late Chinese president Jiang Zemin at state funeral in Beijing
At Monday’s closed-door ceremony, held at the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital before Jiang’s cremation, Hu was shown standing next to Xi as he bowed to Jiang’s body three times.
TV footage also showed the frail-looking Hu, with the help of a young aide, walking unsteadily around Jiang’s body to pay tribute and offer condolences to Jiang’s family.
Hu and other party elders did not attend a second ceremony on Monday, attended by Xi and other incumbent leaders, at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.
That episode raised questions about both his health and his relationship with Xi, and state news agency Xinhua later said Hu’s early departure was related to his health.
