Rumors about Putin’s health, decline, imminent death, death, assassination attempt, or successful assassination have been going around for many years. Xi has also been rumored to be either the victim of a coup, coup attempt, arrest, assassination attempt, bad health, death, etc., or he’s getting rid of anyone in China in a position to oppose him.
It goes in cycles. Hot and heavy for a couple of weeks, then no one hears another peep until the next breathless, self-perpetuating Internet rumor-gasm. (There are occasions when I wish the Internet had never been invented).
There probably is some genuine thing going on in China. We just don’t know what that something is yet. Let’s hope the Euphrates doesn’t suddenly dry up, though. Very bad sign if it does.
Reported as rumor, so we just keep watching.
James Neil Cooper; 2:22 / 4:17 Is Xi Jingping Under House Arrest after Coup? Or Rumours?