Xi Jinping turned up at a crowded “national people’s congress” yesterday to formally open his third presidential term. However, those who attended the meeting noticed an unusual detail.

Although there was a cup of tea in front of everyone present, as is customary, Xi had two. This is a habit that the 69-year-old general secretary has established since 2021.

At the time, many thought it was a symbolic measure of protection against the coronavirus, while others were looking for more symbolic interpretations, such as that each cup symbolizes one term of his presidency. However, the double cup remained and reappeared yesterday.

BBC editor Celia Hutton, trying to explain this choice, wrote that it was probably a subtle symbolism of power and might. A silent attempt at discrimination.

Just as Chinese emperors were the only ones allowed to wear the yellow robe to stand out from the crowd, Xi was the only one in a meeting attended by nearly 3,000 party officials to put an extra cup in front of him.