When China’s leader, Xi Jinping, arrives at Joint Base Andrews, every step he takes down the stairs from his plane will be scrutinized for clues about his health.

Mr. Xi is China’s most dominant leader in decades: He is preparing to claim an all-but-certain fourth term in power from late next year, and there is no sign of a likely successor waiting in the wings. And at 73, Mr. Xi is old enough that any stumble or missed meeting ignites speculation abroad about his health. (The topic is heavily censored in China.)

No matter what happens on the stairs or during Mr. Xi’s three-day visit to Washington, guesswork about his health and probable longevity is sure to persist.

China’s Communist Party does not have clear rules of succession if a leader becomes incapacitated or dies, and Mr. Xi magnified the uncertainties by overturning retirement norms. Mr. Xi’s predecessor, Hu Jintao, retired in 2012 at 69, and his cognitive decline appeared visible in 2022, when he was abruptly escorted from his chair at a party congress, looking confused and upset.

In August, Mr. Xi stepped slowly down the stairway of his plane, holding his wife’s hand, when they visited Kyrgyzstan, igniting rumors online about his health.

The discussion intensified this month after he skipped a dinner at a regional leaders’ meeting in New Delhi. Mr. Xi was absent from a dinner for the BRICS group of developing countries — which includes Brazil, Russia, India and China — according to Indian news reports and a diplomat from one of the participating countries.

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