A leading economist in China, Zhu Hengpeng, has vanished following critical comments he made about President Xi Jinping’s economic policies. The deputy director at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) was reportedly detained after criticizing Xi in a private WeChat group.
Zhu’s remarks, according to The Wall Street Journal, included veiled criticisms of Xi’s leadership and concerns about China’s struggling economy. His disappearance coincides with the Chinese Communist Party’s intensified efforts to silence any negative commentary regarding the country’s economic health.
Under Xi’s leadership, dissent has been increasingly punished, with critics facing imprisonment or exile. Zhu, who held senior positions at CASS for over a decade, was removed from his posts, and his name was erased from online directories. This action 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 an event in May but was replaced without explanation.
The disappearance of Hengpeng is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend in China. It 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 who challenge the government narrative.
This incident raises serious concerns about the shrinking space for free speech and critical thinking in China. It serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with voicing dissenting opinions under Xi’s increasingly authoritarian rule.
