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.

    • Ferrous@lemmy.mlEnglish
      211·
      3 months ago

      Was there supposed to be some argument or statement attached to this source, or…?

      • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        3 months ago

        The US has the highest volume of immigrants in the world, 50x more than China. With or without a reduction of new immigrants that number will remain high.

        • Ferrous@lemmy.mlEnglish
          512·
          3 months ago

          Sure, the US has an advantage in raw number of immigrants versus China. No one is arguing that.

          My point is that touting “our melting-pot-loving leaders” versus “their Han-supremacist demagogues” at the height of your unprecedented devolution into fascism isn’t quite the own you think it is.

          • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
            102·
            3 months ago

            Never claimed to “own” you, but I’d argue this anti-immigrant rhetoric is exceedingly precedented for the US (see Chinese exclusion act, Japanese internment, Alien Act, etc). Even with those shameful events as a part of the US’ history, the nation has been a consistent and significant net importer of immigrants. That makes me confident that the US won’t face a demographic crisis in the same way China may (barring a change in Chinese policy)