Chinese Social Media Weibo Bans Another Business Leader After He Questions China's Zero Covid Policy

  • Weibo Corp WB banned Trip.Com Group Limited TCOM co-founder and Chair James Liang for alleged violation of laws, Reuters reports.
  • The social media company neither elaborated on the violation nor cited the reasons behind the ban.
  • Liang had recently questioned the wisdom of the country's zero-COVID strategy as the country's Presidential election draws closer.
  • Also Read: Chinese Analyst Who Projected Bearish Reports On Alibaba And Other Chinese Stocks Returns To Twitter
  • China had already tightened censorship under Chinese President Xi Jinping.
  • Last week, Tencent Holding Ltd TCEHY WeChat published a piece by Liang that debated the overly cautious epidemic prevention policies leading to more significant pain on the economy and people's life expectancies than the virus itself. 
  • WeChat subsequently removed Liang's post.
  • Liang previously highlighted the Omicron variant's low death rate challenging the tight COVID policy that could hurt the economy.
  • Liang has remained active on Weibo amid a tightening regulatory environment during the past two years, unlike most other outspoken Chinese business leaders who have gone private on social media or stopped posting altogether.
  • Price Action: TCOM shares traded lower by 4.18% at $19.48 on the last check Tuesday.
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In:
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!