Hu Jintao, the immediate predecessor of Xi Jinping, was unexpectedly escorted out of the closing ceremony of a Communist Party congress on Saturday.
Two stewards led Hu, 79, who was seated to the left of Xi, off the stage at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, a Reuters witness said.
When Hu was assisted onto the same stage last Sunday for the opening ceremony, he appeared unsteady.
A once-in-five-year party congress ended with amendments to the constitution cementing Xi’s core status and the guiding role of his political thought.