Chinese billionaire being investigated after criticizing Xi's response to coronavirus
A Chinese billionaire who criticized President Xi Jinping over the leader's response to the coronavirus crisis has been placed under the scanner. Retired real-estate tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, who had allegedly called Xi a "clown," now stands accused of "serious violations" of the law. The 69-year-old billionaire had gone missing in mid-March. Apparently, he was being held by authorities. Here are more details.
Ren being investigated by Xicheng Discipline Inspection Commission of Beijing
According to a statement from Chinese authorities, Ren is suspected of "serious violations of discipline and law," a euphemism for corruption. Ren, a longtime Communist Party member and former Beijing Huayuan Group Chairperson, is being investigated by the Xicheng District Discipline Inspection Commission of Beijing. The 69-year-old has been an influential critic of the government, which earned him the nickname "The Cannon."
Ren had slammed Chinese government over coronavirus response
In early March, Ren had written an essay, criticizing the government for its response to coronavirus. He addressed the government's crackdown on press freedom and intolerance of dissent and indirectly referred to President Xi as a "clown." He wrote, "Standing there was not some Emperor showing us his "new clothes", but a clown with no clothes on who was still determined to play emperor."
Thereafter, Ren disappeared; friends feared authorities took him
After the essay was written, in mid-March, Ren's friends alleged that he had gone missing, fearing he had been taken away by authorities. In the past, Ren was put on a year's probation from party membership in 2016, when he questioned on social media Xi's demands that Chinese media must remain loyal to him. His account on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, was also suspended.
Coronavirus emerged in China's Wuhan city late last year
The novel coronavirus was first reported late-December last year in China's Wuhan city. Notably, doctors had raised an alarm over a new "SARS-like" disease, however, the whistleblowers were threatened with action. Reportedly, Dr. Ai Fen—who was among the first doctors to raise alarm about the new virus infecting people—recently went missing. Another whistleblower, Dr. Li Wenliang, died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in February.
China faces harsh criticism over handling of coronavirus outbreak
China also faces allegations of keeping the outbreak under wraps initially and threatening whistleblowers, and later under-reporting cases and cracking down on the press. China also did not confirm human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus until late-January, when the virus had started spreading to other nations.
