{
  "id": 5328197,
  "title": "What the Floods Say About Xi Jinping",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/what-the-floods-say-about-xi-jinping",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T12:06:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Atlantic",
    "slug": "the-atlantic",
    "url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/09/china-nepal-food-xi-jinping/688484/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When the Himalayan glaciers broke in Nepal and China, leading to devastating floods, President Xi Jinping largely remained in Beijing, away from the affected regions. In contrast, Xi's predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, had visited disaster zones to show their support during crises like the 1998 Yangtze River flood and the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, respectively. Xi's current absence from the floods, despite his position as the Communist Party's general secretary, highlights his growing detachment from the common people. While he attempts to portray himself as a philosopher king guiding China's foreign policy, his actions reveal a disconnect from the daily lives of his citizens. Xi's strategy to avoid appearing vulnerable in crisis situations and to consolidate power is evident in his decision to lead from a distance and delegate responsibilities to others. The Chinese government is also tightly controlling information on the ground to avoid potential negative publicity. Despite the international public outcry over the floods, Xi's priorities lie in reshaping Chinese culture by blending Marxism with Confucianism, a project that may not have garnered significant public support. As the crisis unfolds, Xi's inaction has raised questions about his empathy and responsiveness to the nation's urgent needs.",
  "summary": "China’s leader behaves more like an emperor than a man of the people.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}