Fact Check: Is Chinese President Xi Jinping Under House Arrest In Beijing?

New Delhi: Is there a major political coup in China?

If social media buzz is anything to go by, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been put under house arrest.

The Internet is full of posts about Jinping — who was recently in Samarkand for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit – being removed as the chief of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

There has been no official comment on the matter from Chinese Communist Party or state media yet.

“New rumour to be checked out: Is Xi jingping under house arrest in Beijing? When Xi was in Samarkand recently, the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party were supposed to have removed Xi from the Party’s in-charge of Army. Then House arrest followed. So goes the rumour,” former Union minister and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy wrote in a tweet.

Among those who took to the social media about Jinping’s house arrest were several Chinese nationals. Many of them claimed that PLA has taken over control of the army while some speculated that Li Qiaoming has been made President of China.

“#PLA military vehicles heading to #Beijing on Sep 22. Starting from Huanlai County near Beijing & ending in Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, entire procession as long as 80 KM. Meanwhile, rumor has it that #XiJinping was under arrest after #CCP seniors removed him as head of PLA,” tweeted Jennifer Zeng.

While the ‘news’ about the coup against Jinping will remain a ‘rumour’ unless there is confirmation from the Chinese Communist Party or state media, the fact is that the Communist Party is running an anti-corruption campaign across the country.

Two former ministers were sentenced to death and four officials handed life prison sentences. According to reports, the six were part of a political faction and believed to be opponents of Jinping.

Many feel that the news of the President’s house arrest was started and spread by the anti-Jinping lobby.