A prominent economist in China, Zhu Hengpeng, has been detained and removed from his positions after allegedly criticizing President Xi Jinping’s economic policies. Zhu, who served as the deputy director at the Institute of Economics at the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), reportedly made these comments in a private WeChat group chat.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Zhu’s remarks included subtle criticisms of both Xi and China’s struggling economy. The investigation into Zhu’s alleged offenses coincides with Beijing’s intensified efforts to control negative commentary on China’s economic health, which has been impacted by a real estate downturn and low consumer and business confidence.
Zhu, a health economics expert, was a significant commentator on these matters. He had been with the think tank for over two decades, providing advice to the government on policies related to hospital reforms and healthcare access. Notably, his name has since been removed from the online list of personnel at a think tank associated with Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University.
The current status of the investigation into Zhu remains unknown, and it is unclear if he has legal representation. The investigation also coincides with a campaign to indoctrinate CASS staff, aimed at ensuring adherence to Communist Party rules. Zhu’s last public appearance was in late April at an elder-care-industry conference organized by the Caixin financial news magazine.
This incident follows a trend of mysterious disappearances of high-profile figures in China. For instance, Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat from 2013 to 2018, returned to his role as Foreign Minister a month after the former foreign minister, Qin Gang, vanished from public view. The disappearance of Zhu adds to the growing concern about the suppression of dissent in China.
Other high-profile disappearances include China’s Defence Minister Li Shangfu, last seen on August 29, 2023, amid corruption investigations, and former Industry Minister Xiao Yaqing, who vanished in 2022. Former Rocket Force leaders Li Yuchao and Xu Zhongbo also disappeared in 2022 and 2023, potentially linked to corruption probes or political misconduct, as reported by Reuters. These incidents continue to raise questions about the level of control and the suppression of dissent in China.
