Ex-Chinese leader Hu in first public appearance since dramatic Congress exit

Hu Jintao being escorted out of the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in this file picture from Oct. 22, 2022. - Blooomberg

BEIJING (AFP): Former Chinese leader Hu Jintao was seen in public for the first time since he was dramatically escorted out of a top Communist Party meeting, when he paid respects to his late predecessor Jiang Zemin on Monday (Dec 5).

In October, Hu was lifted out of his chair and led out of the closing ceremony of the Party Congress, a highly unusual incident that disrupted the carefully choreographed event at which Xi Jinping was handed a historic third term as leader.