Unexpected Absence: China's Lawmaker Zhao Leji's Sudden Miss at Plenary Meeting

China's top lawmaker Zhao Leji unexpectedly missed a key session at the National People's Congress due to a reported respiratory infection. His absence marked a rare event within the Politburo Standing Committee. This incident follows a pattern of senior leaders' unexplained absences being linked to health-related issues.

China's top lawmaker and a key figure in the Communist Party, Zhao Leji, addressed media representatives following an unexpected absence from a crucial parliamentary session. This development comes in light of Zhao missing the National People's Congress meeting, an occurrence rare among the country's elite leaders.

Zhao Leji's absence was notable as he became the first Politburo Standing Committee member in nearly two decades to miss such an event. The session he missed was led by his deputy, Li Hongzhong, who cited a respiratory infection as the reason behind Zhao's nonappearance.

This event underscores Beijing's pattern of secrecy concerning the health of senior officials, reminiscent of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang's unexplained absence for health reasons, which resulted in his removal from office. Zhao expressed gratitude to media personnel for their reporting, emphasizing coverage of President Xi Jinping's activities.

(With inputs from agencies.)