Henry Gao(@henrysgao):Age-shaming is another tactic China has long used, which is why Xi always stresses that China is “the only civilisation in the world that has continued uninterrupted into the present.” But that narrative lost quite a bit of credibility after he had former President Hu Jintao — who is 11 years older than him — forcibly escorted out of the Great Hall of the People in full public view.

2026.05.19 00:37

Age-shaming is another tactic China has long used, which is why Xi always stresses that China is “the only civilisation in the world that has continued uninterrupted into the present.” But that narrative lost quite a bit of credibility after he had former President Hu Jintao — who is 11 years older than him — forcibly escorted out of the Great Hall of the People in full public view.