Critic Who Slammed China For Coronavirus Response Goes ‘Missing’

• Chinese billionaire Ren Zhiqiang has gone ‘missing’ after openly criticizing the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
• His loved ones have lost contact with him since March 12.
• According to the Communist Party, Ren is currently under investigation for “serious violations of law and discipline.”

Aside from being known as a real estate tycoon, Ren Zhiqiang has also gained quite a reputation for one thing: he’s a critic of the Chinese government. He has questioned how the authorities handled the coronavirus crisis and now he is under investigation by the Communist Party for “serious violations of law and discipline.”

Beijing’s Commission for Discipline Inspection has recently issued a statement confirming the investigation. Meanwhile, Ren’s friends are now “extremely anxious” about the situation since they had not been able to get in touch with him since March 12.

Ren penned an article blasting China for its response to coronavirus. He expressed disappointment over the alleged cover-up of the outbreak plus he is also questioning the country’s claim of victory against the disease.

The billionaire said the virus exposed the party’s “crisis of governance” and while he did not specifically mention President Xi Jinping’s name, he wrote that he sees nothing but “a clown stripped naked who insisted on continuing being emperor.”

Xi delivered a speech last February 23.

He also continued:

“The reality shown by this epidemic is that the party defends its own interests, the government officials defend their own interests, and the monarch only defends the status and interests of the core.”

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Ren’s arrest has since prompted mixed reactions from netizens.

One commented “Investigated for speaking the truth. Big red really suffers insecurity and inferiority complexes” while another wrote “I bet he is investigated for other reasons rather than his comment for coronavirus.”