On March 11, 2025, during the closing ceremony of the 14th National People’s Congress in Beijing, Vice Chairman of the NPC Li Hongzhong announced that Chairman Zhao Leji was absent due to a “respiratory tract infection”. Li Hongzhong took over the role of presiding over the closing ceremony in place of Zhao Leji. This marked the first time in decades that the Chairman of the NPC was absent from such an important event, leading to speculation among the public regarding the circumstances.
This unexpected change took place on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the closure of the 14th National People’s Congress session in Beijing. Li Hongzhong, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, informed the attendees that Chairman Zhao Leji had requested leave for the afternoon session due to a respiratory tract infection and that he would be chairing the meeting on behalf of Zhao.
The 67-year-old Zhao Leji was last seen publicly during a meeting of the NPC Standing Committee on March 8. Throughout the “Two Sessions” period, Zhao was absent from several crucial meetings, raising concerns among the public.
On March 10, the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) concluded its session in Beijing. Zhao Leji was notably missing from the presidium. In the afternoon, during the second meeting of the NPC Standing Committee, Li Hongzhong presided over the meeting on behalf of the Chairperson.
It was also observed that CPPCC Chairman Wang Huning seemed to be facing abnormal circumstances during the “Two Sessions”. On March 4, during the opening ceremony of the 14th CPPCC session, Wang Huning exhibited signs of respiratory distress during his speech.
Speculations regarding Zhao Leji’s absence have surfaced on various online platforms, with netizens offering a range of theories:
“Might be due to severe pollution in Beijing. The Minister of Ecology and Environment, Huang Runqiu, was boasting a few days ago.”
“The ‘Two Sessions’ seemed hastily conducted, ending abruptly. There must be issues behind this rush.”
“As expected, Zhao Leji’s sudden illness led to his absence from the closing ceremony of the 14th NPC session. Will Zhao Leji become the next Huang Ju? Only time will tell.”
Senior Chinese officials rarely miss significant political events. In 2007, during the “Two Sessions”, Huang Ju, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, was absent from multiple meetings due to illness. On June 2, 2007, Huang Ju passed away during his term at the age of 69.
Independent commentator Cai Shunkun raised the possibility of internal power struggles, stating, “Among the Politburo Standing Committee, Zhao Leji is the only loyalist remaining from the Jiang-Hu era. Xi Jinping has been aggressively purging Zhao’s close allies recently. As the third-ranking member and Chairman of the NPC within the Party, even his closest aides couldn’t be protected, leaving him devoid of basic dignity. His public absence from the closing ceremony of the ‘Two Sessions’ may signify an escalation in internal power struggles to a life-or-death situation.”
Furthermore, amidst the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and other viral diseases, Zhao Leji’s sudden illness, officially attributed to a respiratory tract infection, has sparked speculations about the possibility of him contracting the virus.