A leading economist in China has vanished following critical comments about President Xi Jinping‘s economic policies.
What Happened: Zhu Hengpeng, deputy director at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), was detained after allegedly criticizing Xi in a private WeChat group. Zhu’s remarks reportedly included veiled criticisms of Xi’s leadership and comments on China’s struggling economy, reported The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
The investigation into Zhu coincides with the Chinese Communist Party’s intensified efforts to suppress negative commentary about the country’s economic health. Under Xi, dissent has been increasingly punished, with critics facing imprisonment or exile.
Zhu, who has held senior positions at CASS for over a decade, was removed from his posts, and his name was erased from online directories.
The probe aligns with an indoctrination campaign at CASS, aimed at enforcing party discipline. CASS President Gao Xiang emphasized the need for officials to be “fearful in their hearts, careful with their words, and restrained in their actions.”
Zhu’s last public appearance was in April at an elder-care conference. He was scheduled to speak at a May event but was replaced without explanation, according to the report.
Why It Matters: The disappearance of Hengpeng is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend in China. This follows the high-profile case of Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba Group Holdings, who vanished from public view after criticizing Chinese regulators in 2020.
Ma’s disappearance and subsequent reappearances, including a recent return to China in March 2023, highlight the ongoing crackdown on influential figures.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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