A Chinese property tycoon is missing after criticizing Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak that originated in the country in December, the New York Times reported Saturday.
Ren Zhiqiang, known as “The Cannon,” in the past has been one of the most prominent critics of Xi. Saturday morning his friends reported him missing, according to the Times.
“We’re very worried about him,” Wang Ying, a retired entrepreneur and friend of Mr. Ren’s told the Times. “I will continue to look for him.”
His disappearance comes amid a campaign from the Chinese state to eliminate criticism of the government as the virus outbreak spread to infect 80,000 people in the country and killed 3,100.
As the virus took a biological and economic toll on China, citizens began to grow uneasy and critical of Xi’s response, which the administration quickly censored online.
In recent weeks, an essay Ren penned criticized Xi and the government for silencing whistleblowers and trying to hide the the effects of the rampant outbreak, which began in the city of Wuhan in December.
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Chinese property tycoon "disappears" after criticizing Xi Jinping's coronavirus response: report https://t.co/C924L7BMfY pic.twitter.com/1idhOX9ZeB
— The Hill (@thehill) March 15, 2020
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