Commentary On April 16, Chinese leader Xi Jinping finally appeared in the media and held a video meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ending eight days of apparent invisibility. The last time Xi Jinping showed up was in a tree-planting event on April 8, but then he disappeared from public view. The headlines in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) media could only cover his whereabouts with his books, articles, instructions, calls, letters etc. Xi Jinping’s invisibility once again sparked speculation from many sources regarding his health, safety, and party infighting. Even the media softened the tone by publicizing premier Li Keqiang’s remarks on April 13 in a video conversation with the American business community when he said that “decoupling is not good for anyone.” However, as soon as Xi Jinping appeared on April 16, the CCP’s media outlets were fully firing. The spokesperson from the …