Ren Zhiqiang, the Chinese real estate tycoon known for his direct criticism of state policies, may have gone one step too far when he decided to go after the Party-controlled media.
“When did the people’s government change into the Party’s government?” Ren said in a now-deleted post on Chinese social media. “Is their money the Party’s? … Don’t use taxpayers’ money for things that don’t provide them with services.”
Sometimes dubbed “the Donald Trump of China” for voicing otherwise politically unacceptable opinions, Ren is better known online as “the Cannon” by his 37 million Chinese fans. His name is censored from social media searches.
Ren’s comment, which came after major Party-controlled mouthpieces restated their absolute loyalty to the Party line on Feb. 19, drew commentary responses in Qianlong, a Party-sponsored journal.
