The closing ceremony took place earlier on Saturday, while its first part, when new members of the CPC Central Committee were approved, was held behind closed doors. Reporters were only allowed to attend the second part of the key Communist party meeting, when participants voted on resolutions on the report of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC and other documents.
After a while, Hu, sitting to the left of China's current leader Xi Jinping, was escorted out of the room with the help of two assistants and his seat remained empty until the end of the session.
According to Xinhua, its reporter Liu Jiawen learnt that Hu, who is 79, had insisted on attending the closing session, although he had "been taking time to recuperate recently."
When Hu found he was "not feeling well" during the event, he was led out of the hall "for a rest," the news agency said, adding that the ex-leader was feeling "much better" now.
Hu served as the General Secretary of the CPC from 2002 to 2012 and was the country's leader from 2003 to 2013 before being succeeded by Xi.
The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held on October 16-22. The delegates unanimously approved a resolution on the report of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC, a resolution on the report on the work of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and a resolution on amendments to the party charter. The Congress also approved the composition of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, as well as the new composition of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
The first plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC will take place on Sunday and appoint the senior leadership of the party — members of the CPC Politburo and its Standing Committee — which will lead the country in the next five years. Xi is expected to remain in office for a third term.