A top economist has joined the growing list of China’s elite to have disappeared from public life after criticizing Xi Jinping, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Zhu Hengpeng served as deputy director of the Institute of Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) for around a decade.

CASS is a state research think tank that reports directly to China’s cabinet. Chen Daoyin, a former associate professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, described it as a “body to formulate party ideology to support the leadership.”

According to the Journal, the 55-year-old disappeared shortly after remarking on China’s sluggish economy and criticizing Xi’s leadership in a private group on WeChat.

    • TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world
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      27 minutes ago

      The most ridiculous I have heard is that when I pointed out that people had to wait for years to get a car, and bread lines were common, I got told that the scarcity in communist states is by design.

      SuRe yOu lIvE iN tHe CoUnTrYsIdE, bUt YoU dOn’T nEeD a CaR. JuSt WaLk oR gEt A bUgGy.

      • Fox@pawb.social
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        6 hours ago

        ML anxious attachment style. Banning people for comments they make on other instances is some weeeird little dog behavior.

        • AmosBurton_ThatGuy@lemmy.ca
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          5 hours ago

          Already been down voted by a .ml user that got offended by me daring to insult their precious instance. Fuck .ml and their trash mods and admins lmao

          • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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            5 hours ago

            At least they’re slightly better than Truth Social. Apparently that’s literally a completely defederated Mastodon instance.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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      11 hours ago

      I had the most hilarious discussion with a Tankie about China a while back. They refused to accept that China is pretty much communist in name only. I pointed out that they had billionaires, privately-owned companies, a stock exchange and private property, meaning you can earn capital in China.

      The Tankie actually said something on the lines of, “If you would JUST READ MARX you would know that earning capital is a fundamental cornerstone of communism!”

      • volodya_ilich@lemm.ee
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        7 hours ago

        The Tankie actually said something on the lines of, “If you would JUST READ MARX you would know that earning capital is a fundamental cornerstone of communism!”

        I’m a communist who doesn’t want to call China a communist country, so I don’t really agree with the person that you were talking to, but your second paragraph does show you haven’t researched communism or its history. The debate of whether societies need to undergo capitalist capital accumulation first to enter communism is about as old as communism, and the history of communism is full of examples of this. It’s the ideological reason why the Russian Socialist Democratic Labor Party split into two wings: the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks, the former believing that the Russian Empire had to undergo capitalism first in other to become communist, and the latter wanting to implement socialism to the primitive almost feudalist Russian empire. Some similar split happened more discreetly inside the Communist Party of China, with Mao implementing socialism directly to the extremely underdeveloped Chinese society, and later Deng Xiaoping opting for the more market-socialism (known now to many as "socialism with Chinese characteristics).

        So you may or may not agree whether china is communist, but from your comment it’s clear that you’re very oblivious to the historical and ideological reasons for the argument as to whether china is or isn’t a socialist country and whether they’re on the path to it. It’s good to discuss things and to have opinions, but please get informed before dismissing other people’s opinions on topics they’ve probably dedicated more time than you to studying.

        • barsoap@lemm.ee
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          4 hours ago

          If the Bolsheviks didn’t believe that Russia had to undergo capitalism then why did they implement, and I quote Lenin, state capitalism.

          Also there’s already a term for socialists who tolerate capitalism, it’s social democrats. Maybe the “democrat” thing is the issue MLMs have with the whole concept, not the tolerating capitalism part.

          • volodya_ilich@lemm.ee
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            2 hours ago

            there’s already a term for socialists who tolerate capitalism, it’s social democrats

            Social Democrats don’t want a transition to communism, not even ideologically. Dengists and Mensheviks do, at least ideologically. Whether you believe that or not is a different debate, but equating socialdemocrats with mensheviks is dumb, not a dunk.

            why did they implement, and I quote Lenin, state capitalism

            Look, I’m not here to argue for Marxism-Leninism against you because you’re obviously trying to be smug, not trying to have a civilized discussion. If you actually want some good (in my opinion) analysis of actually-existing socialism, there are plenty of Michael Parenti videos online, or you can pick up his book “Blackshirts and Reds”. But I suspect you’re just here to punch to those communists that are further left than you are. If you do want to have this discussion let me know.

            • barsoap@lemm.ee
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              2 hours ago

              Social Democrats don’t want a transition to communism, not even ideologically.

              Last I checked the SPD’s party program still speaks of socialism.

              But I suspect you’re just here to punch to those communists that are further left than you are.

              I’m an Anarchist. Council Communists are generally to the right of me, quite adjacent but not quite there, Tankies somehow managed to seat themselves at the very other side of the plenum.

              • volodya_ilich@lemm.ee
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                1 hour ago

                Last I checked the SPD’s party program still speaks of socialism

                I’m sure the SPD party program talks about the end of capitalism /s

                Again, not here to engage with smug factionalists. Have a good day

                • barsoap@lemm.ee
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                  30 minutes ago

                  I’m not a factionalist you’re the factionalist. Just agree with me and be done with it!

      • JustARaccoon@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        I mean you can still have private property under communism, it’s the capital making property that’s more owned by the workers themselves, but you can still own things under communism.

        Similarly, you can earn capital under communism too, it’s just that the tools for earning said capital aren’t owned by corporations under corporations under CEOs under the 1%. It’s not a cornerstone for sure, but it’s not like communism is anti capital and growth and owning things

          • JustARaccoon@lemmy.world
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            7 hours ago

            Read a bit ahead if you may:

            Communism deprives no man of the power to appropriate the products of society; all that it does is to deprive him of the power to subjugate the labour of others by means of such appropriations.

            • Fox@pawb.social
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              6 hours ago

              And then the adherents fought over the means and meaning, and everybody else threw their hands up

              • JustARaccoon@lemmy.world
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                18 minutes ago

                Tbh Marx is intentionally questioning definitions and such so it makes sense, simplifying it down to terms we use isn’t very productive in that sense, because what he argues for is the abolishing of “private property” as we know it, but without removing the fruits of labour from its people, so if you and your mates worked for your house you can have it, until the moment you start making a business out of it then it’s less ok.

      • x00za@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        7 hours ago

        Private property as in land or a house? Because that’s not how it works in China. You can only buy it for a specific set of time. Besides that it is indeed just a capitalistic country with an oppressive state.

      • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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        9 hours ago

        something on the lines of

        Any time someone describes something that happened on the fediverse without providing a link, they are misrepresenting what happened 100% of the time.

        • barsquid@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          Hahaha, are you saying that because it was you on the other end of that discussion? I know you love China so much that you are willing to praise their genocide of Uyghur people.

          Maybe you could distill the theory for us a bit so we can decipher why “socialism” is producing hundreds of billionaires.

          • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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            6 hours ago

            Hahaha, are you saying that because it was you on the other end of that discussion?

            Not to my knowledge, but there’s no way for anyone to know what incident it’s referencing so it could be any conversation they had with anyone, or made up whole cloth. I say this exact thing every time I see someone claim something happened on the fediverse without providing a link 1 2 3, and I haven’t been wrong yet. And that’s not really surprising, why wouldn’t someone provide a link to something that made the other side look bad, unless it didn’t actually play out the way they claim?

            For example, when you say that I “praise the genocide of Uyghur people,” that is a lie, and it should be obvious that it’s a lie from the fact that you didn’t provide a link to it.

            I’d be happy to have a good faith discussion regarding China’s economic policies and how they relate to socialism. Just not with someone who I already know is going to lie, misrepresent whatever I say, and act in bad faith, as I know you will.

            • barsquid@lemmy.world
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              4 hours ago

              From the position of your acceptance of Uyghur genocide and pretending that China is anywhere near the left, it’s astonishing you are comfortable accusing anyone else of bad faith.

              There’s simply no way to have a serious discussion with you regarding anything about China. That’s why you have chosen the lemmy.ml instance, it is a hivemind of like thinkers all sheltered from the truth by fragile admins.

              • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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                Oh, look at that, you can’t provide a link. Because you’re a liar. And once again my rule is proven true.

                • barsquid@lemmy.world
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                  4 hours ago

                  I don’t feel like wandering your comment history looking for what you’ve had to say about China’s treatment of Uyghurs. Unless you’re not the same Objection I saw posting anime cartoons?

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      Reminds me of the Clinton Death List, where anyone tangential to Bill and Hilary who had a bad turn was allegedly victimized to cover up an even more insidious crime.

  • SSJMarx@lemm.ee
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    7 hours ago

    This guy worked for state agencies and published his critique in a state-run economics newspaper. If he drew enough ire to get black bagged and thrown in the back of a van I feel like it would have happened sometime before now.

    • Arn_Thor
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      4 hours ago

      It’s fine until it’s not. China is sort of notorious for such grey lines that can shift overnight. And if you are influential, you may just fall victims to the “kill the chicken to scare the monkeys” practice

    • Fox@pawb.social
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      6 hours ago

      Yeah sometimes things don’t happen until they do, shocking

  • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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    12 hours ago

    People complain when Trump and Biden puts tariffs on Chinese products or try to ban Chinese software, or invest hundreds of billions into bringing manufacturing back to the US, but it’s like they just can’t comprehend what a horrific government China has, between an authoritarian police state and leveraging slave labor to take over global industries, they’re a huge threat to freedom everywhere.

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    17 hours ago

    If you think the Chinese economy is bad now, wait 15 years. No amount of sending economists to the gulag will hide this disaster.

    Edit: tankie downvotes are like nectar of the gods to me. Your precious CCP will wither like a plant in the desert.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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        8 hours ago

        92 upvotes would suggest a lot of people.

        But everything you could say about China rings just as true in Europe, in Japan and Korea, in India, in Russia…

        Global populations are heading for a heavy sag, but westerners only know how to heckle the Evil Foreigners.

        • volodya_ilich@lemm.ee
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          8 hours ago

          Funny because I’m European, and the GDP per capita levels of most EU countries are at 2008 levels.

          As for a population pyramid, China will face the same problem as other countries as you say, possibly more magnified.

          • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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            8 hours ago

            EU countries are filling up with war and climate refugees. And… 2008 is one hell of a year to pick as your benchmark.

            • volodya_ilich@lemm.ee
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              7 hours ago

              Yeah, blame the immigrants. Very .world thing to do lol. Taking Germany, for example, according to Wikipedia, 0.17% population growth per year between 2010 and 2020 doesn’t seem too great for me, compared to China’s yearly >4% GDP growth for example they’d reduce per-capita growths by an insignificant amount. I’m European myself, and I can tell you that the lack of GDP per capita growth between 2008 and 2024 isn’t due to population reasons either, and I’m guessing it’s the same for the bigger EU economies like France,Italy and Spain but feel free to correct me otherwise.

              2008 as my benchmark is exactly my point: the European economy has only now economically recovered from the effects of its own self-imposed policy of austerity and deprivation of worker rights and welfare, without having restored said rights or welfare to pre-2008 levels. And we see countries like the UK under “labor” administration falling to the same policy again as soon as they enter the government. In the meanwhile, without falling into such policy (although without many significant victories for welfare and labor AFAIK), China has grown its per-capita GDP threefold since 2008.

              So no, I don’t think “Chinese economy looks bad”, I wish my European country’s economy would mimic a fraction of the Chinese growth actually

    • ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee
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      13 hours ago

      I’ve already been banned from Hexbear. Bunch of assclowns over there.

      Edit: and now lemmygrad

        • Shard@lemmy.world
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          10 hours ago

          Arbitrary bans from overly sensitive mods? Straight to Jail.

          Made a comment about tankies in lemmy getting mad over some news about China getting hit with influence ops by the US. Believe it or not, ban.

          • ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee
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            9 hours ago

            It’s okay man, it takes me a few seconds to scroll through all my bans. It’s funny because all these pro China dweebs are living in the USA. Can’t even commit to the bit and just sit there all day posting anti USA or western stuff. They are obnoxious.

            • barsquid@lemmy.world
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              9 hours ago

              They are privileged children sheltered from reality by mommy and daddy’s money.

          • barsquid@lemmy.world
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            8 hours ago

            That’s easy mode, since Rule 2 is basically “don’t write a fact about China.”

            • ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee
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              7 hours ago

              They are cosplay commie instances, and they all live in western countries especially the USA.

              I browse by all and don’t usually check what instance I’m commenting in. They will swarm like fire ants if you don’t chirp like them. They also have very thin skin so I don’t think they would make good comrades if they ever reach their Utopia.

              I won’t even get into the Hexbear because that’s too easy, but look at the mods for USA at .ml

      • OBJECTION!@lemmy.ml
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        11 hours ago

        Why do you think Israel needs a fucking iron dome? Bunch of virgin clowns in here.

        This you?

        • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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          16 hours ago

          Even then, it isn’t healthy, just healthier. The USA is still going to going to experience economic issues of a growing elderly population, it just won’t be as bad.

          • Shard@lemmy.world
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            9 hours ago

            This is the new normal for highly developed economies. The best they can hope for is a 1 to 1 replacement of their population. We’re not likely to see another baby boom occur.

            We’re not going to see a typical population pyramid any more. Because that means a large infant death rate and either war, disasters or a massive suicide epidemic cutting away the young adult population to get the pyramid shape.

            • zbyte64@awful.systems
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              9 hours ago

              Given that the amount of habitable land will decrease causing mass migrations, you don’t need a 1 to 1 ratio to maintain a population size.

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            16 hours ago

            The US have the benefit of essentially limitless immigration that they can adjust at will. On the other hand, China’s leadership, being Han supremacist, is not receptive to immigration at all.

            • rammer@sopuli.xyz
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              5 hours ago

              The US have the benefit of essentially limitless immigration

              Except that even in the Americas the population is declining. There is a limit to it. The US can outlast many other countries because of immigration but it too has to face the same problem as everyone else.

            • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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              8 hours ago

              The US have the benefit of essentially limitless immigration

              glances at US immigration policy

              Does it?

              China’s leadership, being Han supremacist, is not receptive to immigration at all.

              Wit drier than a lint trap.

            • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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              13 hours ago

              Immigration definitely helps, especially compared to China. I’m just noting that there will still be some decrease in the ratio of retired workers to current workers.

            • Ferrous@lemmy.ml
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              15 hours ago

              Have you… have you seen how Americans have been talking about the border? Especially this election cycle? I don’t know if would characterize either party’s constituencies as “receptive”.

          • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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            8 hours ago

            it just won’t be as bad.

            glances at Ferguson

            glances at Columbia

            glances at the NYC subway

            How bad are we talking?

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            16 hours ago

            Basically, yes. The sides are nearly parallel, which is great. Compare with China’s, which forms a steep V. Once GenX hits retirement age they are completely screwed. The CCP’s recent push for “traditional family values” and increased birth rates is no coincidence.

      • Eheran@lemmy.world
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        17 hours ago

        The birthing rates are only dropping, in 15 years all of those people will be to old to work but there are not nearly enough to replace them.

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            16 hours ago

            996 = working from 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week, work schedule practiced currently in many companies in China

            7-10-7 = I’m guessing 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week because of worker shortage?

            • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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              8 hours ago

              Old enough to remember people talking about a 4 day work week and complaining about how many bullshit jobs our economy is swamped with.

              But I guess we actually do have a sever labor shortage and all that surplus manufacturing jettisoned out into the global market simply isn’t enough.

          • cygnus@lemmy.ca
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            16 hours ago

            996 is a term the Chinese use to describe working 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    Guess Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was closer to the real story than the originals by Milne…

  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    Truly no emperor has ever worn such fine clothes as our beloved Xi. This will absolutely never backfire on them