Tycoon who called Xi Jinping a 'clown' over handling of COVID-19 jailed for 18 years

The former chairman of a state-owned real estate company who publicly criticised Chinese President Xi Jinping's handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been sentenced to 18 years in prison on corruption charges.

In a commentary that circulated on social media, Ren criticised a February 23 video conference with 170,000 officials held early in the pandemic at which Mr Xi announced orders for responding to the disease. Ren didn't mention Mr Xi's name but said, "standing there was not an emperor showing off his new clothes but a clown who had stripped off his clothes and insisted on being an emperor".

"People did not see any criticism at the conference. It didn't investigate and disclose the truth," Ren wrote, according to a copy published by China Digital Times, a website in California.

Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)

Really in China never have the human rights and freedoms to write, to say. So that don't believe what the communist party said, look carefully what they did. Australia must learn a lesson by heart.

Beware Victorians, this is an example of how your freedoms will be eroded once an authoritarian government gets the control they seek. Andrews has already appointed his pandemic goon squad with the power to arrest even without a crime having been committed-Orwell’s 1984 lifestyle

Typical despotic practice - just trump up specious charges, 'prosecute', and send your critical opponents to jail for a life term.

I can think of other words for him

In the west, he would be dismissed with a 7/8 figure bonus and would go work as an advisor for government or board member.

I think this time China has taken bite more than it can chew

🖤👍🌏

Just like Victoria

misleading title👎

This guy is luck, you know, Jeffrey Epstein was already dead. BTW, this guy put into jail for stealing taxpayer's money.

That’s crazy

He's right. The CCP can't handle any criticism. Xi Jinping is a dictator.

what part of melbourne? auspol DictatorDan

In China you are free until you criticize the CCP and you are finished FreedomOfSpeech

Xi Jinping and his fragile ego destroys another life and his family. Still, in Victoria he would have been in prison after his first dissenting thought.

😲😔

Seems Poo Bear doesn’t like the truth. We all know the CCP screwed up and as a result the whole world is in the midst of this horrible pandemic.

BHCWB A China é inimiga da humanidade... Se perseguem e matam seus naturais, não nos matariam para tomar nossos países?

So this guy criticised Xu & the CCP and is gaoled. DrewPavlou criticised the UQ_News UQAmbassadors and the CCP influence is punished. Similarities

China should be forced back to the grass age, not even able to make stone tools.

ABC please don't spread fake news again about China. He is not a Tycoon. He is a retired CCP official and close ally of Xi's right hand man the Vice President Wang Qi Shan.

Love to see the ABC come out batting in favour of corruption 🤗

Poor bugger

Comming to Victorians

ABC please do some basic investigation and stop producing shallow fake news. I don't expect high level journalism from you, but you should show some respect for your readers by maintaining basic professionalism. Dont treat common people like idiots.

Not because he called xi a clown

Mr. Ren's 'outspoken' not because he is brave, but because he represents a powerful red-princelings group. This group was untouchable before Xi Jinping taking reign. Today they are still powerful enough to resist Xi's power at some degree. Actually he gets a very lenient sentence

In Victoria?

Mr. Ren represent an elites group consists of red-princelings and tycoons who want to secure and legalize their huge fortunes permanently in the name of democratic reform. And control the government behind scenes like tycoons and elites in the west do.

Authoritarian or not China's handling of CoVid-19 produced about the lowest deaths/M in the World! What did Xi do wrong? Welding up folks in their flats?

Typical of CCP. They can’t handle any sort of criticism. This proves that expression of interest (a plank of democracy) is a foreign concept in China and other countries around the world that have totalitarian governments.

yes getting like that in Australia also....well Victoria anyway

Winnie the Pooh is Xi Jinping Because I can ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Mr. Ren himself was close associate with current CCP top leader Wang Qishan, who is also son-in-law of late Yao Yilin, deputy premier in late 1980s. It is nothing about pro democracy or anti-authorism, but about their vested interests threatened by Xi's reform.

Fake news. He was charged for receiving about $300k bribe and stealing more than $10 million public funds. He was head of a state company and one of the ' red princelings.' His father was a vice minister and close associates of CCP top leader Chen Yun and Yao Yilin.

This proves China is still in the stone age.

Sticks and stones

No Karens in China?

Trump must be so jealous, if he could do that he could clear his calendar.

'Outspoken real estate tycoon known as ‘Big Cannon Ren’ embezzled US$7.3 million, court finds'

'but I said Crown not Clown'

Not a surprise

Oh FFS don’t give DictatorDan ideas 🤫

Shows that CCP is a bully. The soon we remove ourselves from their buying our products the better

Why is the world allowing this Chinese State corruption to continue. Ban all travellers from China. No Sporting team allowed to compete internationally. Trade sanctions.This has to stop. This is not Democracy. This is Suppression. BanChina China XiJinpingiscorrupt XiJinping

Don’t tell Chairman Dan. He might get ideas

Imagine how many years he would've got if he called him Winnie the Pooh!

WTF!!!!

He was found of 'guilty of corruption, bribery and embezzlement of public funds',- not COVID-19.

If only we could offer a prisoner exchange, maybe TimSmithMP ?

Should everyone who called Xi a clown be jailed they would be full to overflowing!

China's suppression of human rights mirrors that of Russia: making an example of wealthy individuals who challenge their authority in order to continue the subjugation of wider population

Take note Victorians this treatment could be just around the corner waiting for you.

Not a bright thing to say in China.

Pull the other one

Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

A national failure: The US hits 200,000 COVID-19 deathsThe grim milestone cements the US's bleak status as the country with the highest recorded death rate. It's still common for the country to record more than 1000 COVID-19 deaths a day - so common that such numbers are now just background noise. Again Died OF or WITH Covid? Go Easy on the FAKE NEWS. Only 6% are Covid
Source: theage - 🏆 8. / 77 Read more »

UK residents warned to get serious amid fears coronavirus cases will surge to 50,000 a dayEngland is on track for about 50,000 coronavirus cases a day by mid-October and a surging death toll unless the public gets serious about preventive action, top advisors in the United Kingdom have warned. All leadership was eaten up for brexit long ago. Not surprised by the outcome in the slightest.
Source: SBSNews - 🏆 3. / 89 Read more »

UK facing 50,000 new COVID-19 cases a day if infections aren't curbed, government scientists warnThe UK's top government scientists warn the country will have nearly 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October if the current infection rate does not drop. The UK are being lied to about covid and the folly of PCR testing to induce fear in the uneducated, much like here, ABC. You never know, the “experts” are bound to get at least one prediction right. The UK say 50k for CORONAVIRUS (that includes the common cold and flu) .... Not COVID-19.... Which is it What is the truth
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Live: NSW Now: Two more senior Nationals members quit, COVID-19 warning for sports clubMORNING BRIEFING: The NSW Nationals have now lost three members in three days as Troy Grant and Niall Blair part ways, while NSW Health issues a warning about a COVID-19 case who dined at a Sydney sports club. National’s the Liberals Lap Dogs are finished NSW Government is in jeopardy Because friendlyjordies exposed the corruption in NSW government. You also get paid to tell public the truth and expose corruption. What's Leigh Sales nd Speers doing nowadays? Wasting taxpayers money? It will be a wonderful day for the people of rural Australia when the Nationals are gone forever. They nothing but liberals in boots and hats. Country Australia deserves better.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand will ease COVID-19 restrictions againMost of New Zealand will be unshackled from all coronavirus restrictions from midnight, but Auckland will have to wait until later this week to have some measures eased. Now they can just go back to being an island out in the Tasman sea hiding from the rest of the world. Time to lift the drawbridge again! Grateful to have a leader not afraid to make the hard calls. After the initial Go hard, Go early Nationwide lock down we have been able to live, work & play in our new normal. Less fatalities, back to work sooner & millions of dollars pumped into our tourist industry. WinWinWin
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Britain at COVID-19 tipping point, second lockdown possible, Health Minister saysCOVID-19 cases have risen sharply in recent weeks, with stricter lockdown measures now in place across large sectors of the country. One near-death experience for Johnson wasn't enough. UKlockdown ccp There will be riots.
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »