“Xi Jinping had a Stroke, Fainted During BRICS Summit”: Chinese Dissident Wanjun Xie’s Tweet Causes a Massive Buzz on Social Media, X Flags Content Over Inconsistent Facts

SPECULATIONS ON CHINESE PRESIDENT Xi Jinping’s health is flooding the social media platforms ever since Chinese dissident, Wanjun Xie claimed on X, that the Chinese President purportedly fainted and suffered a severe ischaemic stroke during the 18th BRICS summit in New Delhi. Xie posted a series of tweets claiming the trajectory of Xi’s journey back to Beijing for an emergency treatment, which has gathered a massive digital footprint as of now. However, there are no official reports or confirmations regarding the claims. Additionally, the post has received a community note, flagging it for factual inconsistency. 

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Xie alleged in his post that the Chinese President was flown back to Beijing without being treated at any medical institution in India out of strategic concerns. He further claimed that Xi Jinping was taken to the 301 Hospital—a general hospital of the People’s Liberation Army in China. 

What Did Wanjun Xie Claim?

In a post dated September 14, 2026, Wanjun wrote on X that Xi abruptly ended his visit to India and returned Beijing due to concerns regarding his health. This was the first post that ignited the flame of speculation. Xie wrote on X, “On September 13, Xi Jinping abruptly ended his visit to India and returned to Beijing due to health reasons. His participation in the BRICS summit failed to reach any strategic agreements or an agreement on making the renminbi a settlement currency, marking his visit to India as a diplomatic failure.” 

As someone with a history of activism in the People’s Republic of China, and the subsequent fleeing to the United States, this post received massive engagement across the world. Due to the lack of any official reports and statements, the reality of the situation is yet to be known. However, parts of what Xie claimed could be attributed to truth. It is true that the Chinese President left the summit and returned to Beijing ahead of his schedule. Subsequently, it was also observed that President Xi was missing from the group photo of the world leaders after the conclusion of the summit.  Therefore, Xie’s claims are factually correct, but only partially as of now.

Sharpening his attack on the Chinese Government, Xie further wrote on the X post, “When Xi Jinping left India, no high-ranking Indian officials were sent to the airport to see him off, and the boarding stairs were also...No carpet was laid out. This signifies that Sino-Indian diplomatic relations, led by Xi Jinping, have reached a freezing point. On the eve of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping suffered another diplomatic setback, which will accelerate the collapse of his regime.”

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However, it was the X post on September 16, 2026, that entailed a detailed itinerary of Xi Jinping’s movements. In the X post, Xie claims that the Chinese President fainted at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, and was given an emergency medical treatment. However, out of strategic reasons, Xi was not admitted to any Indian hospital, and was flown back all the way to Beijing. Upon reaching Beijing, Xi was admitted to the 301 Hospital, the post on X stated. 

Xie’s claims did not stop here. He further stated that according to his sources, the medical team of experts diagnosed Xi Jinping with a severe ischemic stroke, commonly known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). “It is reported that a team of experts at Beijing 301 Hospital diagnosed Xi Jinping with a severe ischemic stroke, commonly known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). Due to the long and time-consuming flight from New Delhi to Beijing, by the time Xi arrived at Beijing 301 Hospital, the golden window for emergency treatment and surgery had passed. Currently, after surgery, Xi is under observation in the ICU and remains in critical condition,” Xie wrote on X. 

However, neither NewsGram, nor any other news agency have confirmed the truth of these statements yet. The post on X has also been flagged using a community note on the grounds of factual inconsistency. 

President Xi’s Physical Absence Adds Weight to Wanjun Xie’s Unverified Claims

President Xi arrived in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, for the 18th BRICS Summit, in what was his first visit to India after almost seven years. The Sino-Indian relationship has been amidst a lot of tensions in the past few years. Border skirmishes,  territorial disputes and security dilemmas marked the engagement of these two major players. In recent times, there has been some optimism in their engagement, underscored by strategic alignment. Xi attended the BRICS summit and participated in a bilateral talk with PM Modi. However, he skipped the dinner at Bharat Mandapam, whilst other leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa—Presidents of Russia and South Africa respectively—were seen to attend it. 

Reports by news agencies suggested that Xi Jinping returned to his hotel to conclude his day. However, there are no official notices that justify the same. At the same time, there is a video making its rounds across social media platforms, where PM Modi is seen asking Xi Jinping, “Is it Okay?”  This question, followed by the absence, has helped keep alive the spark surrounding his health.

Who is Wanjun Xie ?

Wanjun Xie, is the chairman of the China Democratic Party (CDP), simultaneously known as Democratic Party of China—a banned political outfit in China. At present, Wanjun is a Chinese dissident, who fled to the United States in 1999. 

Wanjun’s political activism could be traced back to the Tiananmen Square Protests in 1989. It was with the former participants of the Tiananmen Square protests, that the CDP was established in 1998.

He has a credible following on social media, and came to the spotlight in 2022, when he falsely claimed that the public officials in the Henan province have begun armed resistance against the Chinese Government. This claim was fact-checked and debunked by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) fact check.

Global Leaders Falling Sick After BRICS Summit 

News regarding the health concerns of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, has stirred further speculation. An X post by the official account of the South African Presidency, noted that the President has been advised to take care of his health by the doctors and to rest for a few days. 

Soon after the post, the social media buzz on the BRICS Summit and the health of global leaders began to take shape. It was a post by Polymarket—a platform disbursing news on trade, politics and markets, among others—claiming “several global leaders fell ill after the BRICS Summit,” was the one to ignite the spark. 

However, the official MEA Fact Check broadcasting issued a release claiming this news by Polymarket to be false. 

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