20250604 CUC Dong Jun Xi Miao hua

An abnormal situation: Defense minister Dong Jun, left, skipped the Shangri-La Dialogue last weekend, Xi Jinping kept a low profile after an inspection tour last month and Miao Hua has been deleted from a Ministry of National Defense website. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Kyodo)

Analysis: Question mark hangs over Xi Jinping regime's strength

China remains silent on whether a key monthly meeting was held in May

Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.

In a bizarre turn of events that raises questions about the strength and stability of Chinese President Xi Jinping's administration, no announcement has been made through official media outlets about whether a key monthly meeting was held in May.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.