Chinese authorities are still cracking down on suspected authors of an open letter asking President Xi Jinping to resign. The letter was written and signed earlier this month under the alias “a loyal Communist Party member.”
Jia Jia, a 35 year old Chinese journalist who went missing while trying to travel to Hong Kong was released after being detained by police, his lawyer told CNN Sunday. The lawyer denied Jia authored the letter.
Wen Yunchao, a New York based human rights crusader told reporters that his parents and younger brother had been taken away from their home in Guangdong, China by authorities on March 22.
Wen also denied he was the writer of the letter but said his family had been harassed because authorities thought he was involved with its publication.
The letter which briefly applauded Xi’s accomplishments, including an anti-corruption campaign and deepening economic reforms, turned to strident criticisms of the leader.
Politically, the letter said, Xi has weakened the independence of China’s political organs and caused confusion within all levels of Communist Party government officials in terms of responsibilities and decision making.
Diplomatically, Xi’s foreign policy has allowed for North Korea’s successful testings of nuclear and hydrogen bombs, the United States’ pivot back to Asia, and an anti-China united front formed by South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations, the letter said.
Economically, the letter said, policies formulated by Xi’s central economic leadership team have led to turbulence inside China’s stock and property markets, huge losses of civilian wealth, excessive energy outages, massive unemployment and currency devaluation.
President Xi Jinping has been admired by many ordinary Chinese for advancing the “Chinese Dream” — a vision of a stronger nation.
However, he has also wielded his power to crack down on corruption, while also haunting human rights defenders and apparently inhibiting dissents even beyond the borders of China.
The Internet and traditional media have also been subjected to much tighter controls since Xi assumed power.
