Chinese economist Zhu Hengpeng disappeared after criticizing Xi Jinping, the WSJ reported. He reportedly made comments on China's sluggish economy.

A top economist has joined the growing list of China’s elite to have disappeared from public life after criticizing Xi Jinping, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Zhu Hengpeng served as deputy director of the Institute of Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) for around a decade.

CASS is a state research think tank that reports directly to China’s cabinet. Chen Daoyin, a former associate professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, described it as a “body to formulate party ideology to support the leadership.”

According to the Journal, the 55-year-old disappeared shortly after remarking on China’s sluggish economy and criticizing Xi’s leadership in a private group on WeChat.

  • OBJECTION!English
    96·
    2 months ago

    Is it actually that it happens in one country in particular, or is it that nobody makes a note of it when it happens in other countries because someone not being in the public eye for a bit is normal and routine, and it’s only because China is treated with suspicion that it’s considered noteworthy?

    Of course, I can’t even imagine the shitstorm that would happen if another country tried to demand that public figures in the US provide, not only testimony saying they were fine, but a detailed account of any time they were out of the public eye, to confirm that they weren’t being interrogated by the NSA and then forced to lie about it. It’s absurd, as you admit, it’s a conspiracy theory. There are so many actual real problems that have actual real evidence that I don’t understand why anyone would care about something that’s grounded on pure conjecture and circumstantial evidence.

    • Fox@pawb.socialEnglish
      54·
      2 months ago

      Probably because most other countries aren’t under the justified suspicion that China is for directly repressing speech it doesn’t like. It’s a conspiracy theory but it’s not at all absurd, it is plainly the most reasonable explanation for what is happening.

      • bufalo1973English
        33·
        2 months ago

        When was the last time this was asked about anyone in Saudi Arabia? Or Israel? Or…

        • PugJesus@lemmy.worldEnglish
          5·
          2 months ago

          When was the last time this was asked about anyone in Saudi Arabia?

          All the fucking time. Holy shit, do you just not pay attention to international news? The Saudis are constantly fucking with internal dissidents.

          Or Israel?

          Israel doesn’t kill journalists in secret. They do it in the open and claim it was an accident. There’s a lot of reporting on it (ironically?)