A prominent economist at one of China’s top think tanks was placed under investigation, detained and removed from his posts after he allegedly criticized leader Xi Jinping’s management of the world’s second-largest economy in a private chat group, according to people familiar with the matter.
The investigation of Zhu Hengpeng, who for the past decade was deputy director of the Institute of Economics at the state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, comes as the Communist Party ramps up efforts to suppress negative commentary about China’s economic health.
Beijing has struggled to revitalize a sluggish economy weighed down by a real estate slump and tepid sentiment among consumers and businesses—weaknesses that, some economists say, have been exacerbated by Xi’s efforts to boost the state sector, rein in what he considers capitalistic excess, and protect China against perceived foreign threats.
Under Xi, the party has directed a far-reaching clampdown on dissent that has punished critics of his leadership inside the party and beyond, with some high-profile targets, including influential business people and academics, getting detained, imprisoned or forced into exile. Authorities have also tightened controls on data, curtailing access to information prized by investors and analysts for insights into China’s economy.
Zhu, who turns 55 this month, was detained in the spring after he allegedly made some impolitic remarks in a private group chat on the WeChat mobile-messaging app, according to people familiar with the matter.