Why did Hu Jintao leave the meeting?

(CNN) — China’s former top leader Hu Jintao was unexpectedly removed from the closing ceremony of the Communist Party Congress on Saturday, in a disruptive moment at what is normally a highly danced event.

Hu, 79, was sitting in a commanding position at the head table of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, next to his successor, current leader Xi Jinping, when a staff member approached him. A video of the meeting shows.

Still in his chair, Hu appears to speak briefly with a male staff member, while China’s third-highest leader, Li Zhanshu, sits on his other side, with his hand on the chair behind Hu’s back.

Hu was then seen being lifted by a staff member who held his hand, while Kong Shaoxen, head of the Party Secretariat, walked away. Hu spoke briefly with the two, reluctant to leave.

Finally, Hu is escorted from his seat by two men, one of whom holds his arm, while the other members of the group sitting behind the head table observe the situation. The circumstances of Hu’s departure are unclear.

On their way out, Hu stops and appears to say something to Shi. He then tapped Premier Li Keqiang on the shoulder. Both Xi and Li seem to nod. It is not clear what GG’s response was.

There is a moment in the video where Shi places his hand on the document, which Hu tries to stop Hu from doing so while Hu is still seated.

At another point, after Hu rises to his feet and reprimands the two before leaving, Li Zhanshu appears to try to get up from his seat, but is ordered away by Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Huning, who is sitting next to him. As he left, he sat back down with a tug on his suit jacket.

Hu, who retired in 2013, had been in poor health in recent years.

Because of the opaque nature of Chinese elite politics, the party is unlikely to offer a public explanation for Hu’s sudden departure. The moment was not reported in any Chinese media or discussed on Chinese social media, where general conversation is highly restricted. But the video has unleashed a storm of speculation abroad.

CNN aired the episode in China on Saturday, reporting on Hu’s departure.

What happened after more than 2,000 Congress delegates approved the new members of the party’s central committee during a private session, and before the delegates were called to approve the party’s mission statement during a session open to members of the press.

The newly announced 205-member Central Committee does not include Li Keqiang and Standing Committee member Wang Yang, both considered supporters of Hu. This means that although they are both 67, a year short of the unofficial retirement age, neither of them will retain their seats in the party’s top decision-making body. Xi, 69, was added to the list of new members of the Central Committee.

The composition of the Standing Committee will be announced on Sunday, a day after the Congress ends. Xi, who appears to have consolidated power by eliminating rivals and reducing the lingering influence of party elders, is expected to be reconfirmed as party leader.