Once again, communist China has acted to destroy individual freedom at the perverse altar of the supreme party.
As Radio Free Asia notes, a property tycoon and social media activist, Ren Zhiqiang, has gone missing. Known for his eloquent and amusing reproaches to the regime, Ren’s most recent sin was his attack on Xi Jinping’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Specifically, an article in which Ren described Xi as “a clown.” As Ren put it, “The emperor is holding up a piece of cloth, trying to cover up the fact that he is wearing no clothes at all.”
To be sure, these are highly courageous words.
Xi is determined to present himself as the modern heir to Mao Zedong, someone to be adored and trusted without hesitation. Ren would have known that his choice of words would cross a line with the inner party elites. But the real challenge his words purveyed was not their choice of language. It was their truth.
Because Xi’s response to the coronavirus epidemic has indeed been that of a clown. Just a clown more of the Pennywise form from the horror novel, It, and less of the happy birthday party variety. After all, the coronavirus has proved Xi only for his cowardice and capricious self-regard. The Party’s response to the epidemic has been one of denial and deception, marked by the littered bodies of the people. Those who raised the alarm were imprisoned then left to die. And the world, for all the insufferable idiocy of many Western writers, was refused the most basic information on the virus outbreak — information that might have prevented this, now, global pandemic.
What will happen to Ren?
It’s likely that he’ll spend a few weeks in a reeducation camp and then be released into a form of house arrest. Xi’s challenge is that the tycoon is simply too well-known abroad and with the growing liberal intelligentsia at home. He doesn’t want to make Ren a martyr.
Regardless, the truth of Ren’s words must stand central in our contemplation. It must stand with other testaments to Xi’s truth, such as the video posted to Twitter by Lianchao Han on Saturday, which shows Chinese protesters infuriated by a ban on their access to individual food purchases.
These things matter. They evidence a regime that is despicable in nature and evil in agenda. And they thus require us to salute those brave Chinese citizens like Ren, who want a better, freer future for their nation.
