Rumours that Xi Jinping fell ill at a major summit and had to be rushed home have circulated widely before his meeting with Donald Trump next week.
The unsubstantiated claims, which appear to have come from critics of the communist regime, follow a purge of military officials in China.
Xi, 73, is often the subject of speculation about his health owing to China’s censorship and lack of independent media, but the latest rumours seem to have taken hold.
