During the Cultural Revolution, Xi Jinping's own mother denounced him

Chinese President Xi Jinping
(Image credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

As Pope Francis leaves Washington, D.C., following his address to a joint session of Congress, the nation's capital prepares for the arrival of another foreign dignitary: Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will attend a state dinner at The White House on Friday. In preparation for his turn in the spotlight, The New York Times published an article on Thursday examining Xi's experiences during the Cultural Revolution, when his father, Xi Zhongxun, and many other high-ranking officials were purged from the Chinese Communist Party, as Mao Zedong sought to reassert his control over the country. Xi Jinping's family during that time underwent numerous humiliations and hardships, including the death of his half-sister and the exile of his father.

But perhaps no episode better captures the topsy-turvy nature of the Cultural Revolution, and the way it tore families apart, than when Xi was paraded on stage as a delinquent to be denounced by the crowd, which included his own mother:

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Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.