Bangladesh, July 8 -- Chinese President Xi Jinpings sudden and unexplained absence from the public eye between 21 May and 5 June has raised many questions. It is rare for the Chinese head of state to away from public view for such a long time without any official statement. What added fuel to the fire was the silence of Chinese state media on the matter. Even more surprising was Xi deciding to skip the BRICS Summit in Brazil, again with no explanation. These unusual developments have sparked speculation – Is Xi Jinping losing control over Chinas power structure? Is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) preparing for a leadership change?

Xi Jinping became the General Secretary of the CCP and Chairman of the Central Military Commission i...