An influential former Chinese real estate executive and critic of President Xi Jinping has been expelled from China’s ruling Communist Party (CCP), according to a notice from the Beijing district government.
Ren Zhiqiang, former chairman of state-controlled real estate developer Huayuan Real Estate Group, called Xi a “clown” for a speech he made in February about the government’s efforts to combat the coronavirus.
Ren went missing in March, three of his friends told Reuters at the time. The Beijing municipal anti-corruption watchdog later said it was under investigation for a “serious disciplinary violation.”
In a notice Thursday night, the watchdog said Ren had been expelled from the CCP because he was in “serious violation of discipline and law.”
He accused Ren of “losing faith”; “Not being party-aligned on important matters of principle”; “To vilify the image of party and country” and to be disloyal and dishonest with the party.
According to the notice, Ren also used official funds for golf, office, and residential space provided free of charge by businessmen, and illegally made huge profits.
Ren’s “illegal earnings” have been confiscated and he will be charged in court, according to the notice.
The notice did not mention the article in which Ren also said that the lack of free press and free speech had prevented the coronavirus outbreak from being addressed earlier, which worsened the situation.
Ren, who earned the nickname “Cannon Ren” from previous reviews posted on social media, was paroled for the party for a year in 2016 as part of a punishment for publicly criticizing government policy.
