Then, two men led Mr. Hu — who appeared reluctant to go — out of Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. Was Mr. Hu, 79, suffering from poor health, as Chinese state media would later report? When the aide finally succeeds in coaxing Mr. Hu from his chair, Mr. Li, the No. As the two aides begin guiding Mr. Hu away from his seat, the older leader stops to say something to Mr. Xi. The state broadcaster’s news program that night showed footage of Mr. Hu voting, and then his empty seat later in the ceremony, without explanation.

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