Top Chinese Lawmaker’s Absence at Key Parliament Session Raises Questions

By Staff, Agenciesi

China’s third-highest-ranking official, Zhao Leji, was notably absent from a key parliamentary session on Tuesday, marking the first time in nearly two decades that a Politburo Standing Committee member missed the high-profile event. Officials attributed his absence to a respiratory infection.

Zhao, 68, was expected to open the session at the Great Hall of the People but was replaced by his deputy, Li Hongzhong, who announced that Zhao had "requested leave." This departure from the Communist Party’s usual secrecy regarding the health of senior officials has drawn attention, particularly given past incidents where leaders disappeared from public view under vague explanations.

His absence follows his failure to attend two major political meetings on Monday, though he had been present at all scheduled public events until then. While state media maintains that illness is the sole reason, comparisons are being drawn to previous cases, such as former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who vanished for a month in 2023 before being removed from office.

The last time a senior official missed a major National People's Congress [NPC] plenary session was in 2006, when Vice Premier Huang Ju was hospitalized. Huang later passed away, though the government did not disclose the cause of death.

Zhao, a key ally of President Xi Jinping, currently serves as chairman of China’s NPC Standing Committee, which oversees legislation and major personnel decisions. His sudden absence, despite his active participation in legislative duties just days prior, has fueled speculation about internal political shifts as China approaches its next leadership reshuffle in 2027.