At The Summit With Trump, Xi Requested Unusual Breaks And Leaned On His Wife
- 3.10.2026, 12:48
Serious concerns have arisen regarding the health of the leader of the People's Republic of China.
During his visit to Washington, the Chinese side insisted on an unusual schedule for Xi Jinping, including extended breaks for him to rest. According to people familiar with the preparations for the visit, this revealed rare signs of physical vulnerability in the 73-year-old Chinese leader, The Wall Street Journal reports.
One of Beijing’s demands was the preparation of a separate room in the West Wing of the White House where Xi could rest between events. Only his wife, Peng Liyuan, was permitted to be there with him. Not even Cai Qi, Xi’s chief of staff, had access to this room, which was referred to as the “waiting room.”
A five-hour break appeared in Xi’s schedule
About a month before the trip began, the Chinese advance delegation also canceled a working lunch between Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump, which had been scheduled for September 24—the only full day of the summit.
Chinese officials informed their American counterparts that they would like to allow more time for Xi to rest. As a result, a gap of about five hours appeared in the itinerary for the visit, which lasted just over two days.
In addition, the Chinese side did not schedule any events for Xi on the evening of his arrival. And on September 25, the last day of the visit, he spent only about 10 minutes at the National Archives—significantly less than U.S. officials had planned.
At the same time, Xi had just completed a roughly 14-hour flight from Beijing to Washington, and the time zone change may have affected the schedule for his first day.
During the events, Xi leaned on his wife
Despite the ceremonial nature of the state visit, his schedule, according to sources, was drawn up with consideration for how long the Chinese leader could stand and how far he could walk without a break.
Video footage from Washington also showed Xi moving cautiously. As he descended the aircraft stairs at Andrews Air Force Base, he held onto the handrail with one hand and Peng Liyuan’s hand with the other.
Two days later, as he walked up to the National Archives with Trump and the First Lady, Xi was again holding Peng’s hand. In the video, it appeared that he was using her for physical support.
Chinese state media edited these moments out of their prime-time broadcasts. At the same time, state media portrays Xi’s frequent holding of his wife’s hand at official events as a sign of the couple’s closeness and devotion.
They didn’t even do this for Xi’s predecessors
Dennis Wilder, a former senior director for China at the U.S. National Security Council who organized state visits during the administration of George W. Bush, called the creation of a special rest room unprecedented.
According to him, when organizing visits by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, and Xi’s predecessor—Chinese President Hu Jintao—such a practice was not employed.
Wilder also noted the shortened schedule for the meeting between Trump and Xi. Their bilateral talks on September 24 began closer to noon and concluded by mid-afternoon. Afterward, Xi left the White House and returned only for the official dinner.
“That’s extremely short for a summit like this,” Wilder noted, commenting on the time allotted for talks between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies.
This isn’t the first time questions have arisen about Xi’s health
Speculation about the Chinese leader’s physical condition has surfaced before. In particular, during his 2019 tour of Europe, video footage showed Xi walking with a slight limp and leaning on the armrests of his chair.
Similar concerns were also reported ahead of his visit to Washington. According to The Wall Street Journal, at the BRICS summit in India in early September, Xi skipped a gala dinner attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders due to feeling unwell.
At the same time, Xi continues to concentrate significant political power in China and has not named a successor. He simultaneously holds the positions of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. The question of his health is significant not only from a personal standpoint but also for the future political leadership of the country.