China critic who called President Xi a 'clown' being investigated by Communist Party

A critic of the Chinese Communist party, who said President Xi Jinping was a “clown” over his handling of the coronavirus outbreak, is being investigated by the party's disciplinary committee.

Ren Zhiqiang, the influential Chinese tycoon, has been missing since March 12. He will be investigated for "serious violations of law and discipline," the Communist Party's disciplinary arm announced on Tuesday.

"Ren's fate will be determined by what I think is an intense struggle at the top of the Communist Party. If Xi Jinping prevails, we won't see Ren for a long time. If Xi's adversaries win, Ren will be China's next hero," foreign affairs expert Gordon Chang further told Fox News.

Ren had told friends that he "saw not an emperor standing there exhibiting his 'new clothes,' but a clown stripped naked who insisted he continue being emperor." He also said China's state-run news media should serve the people of China and not the Communist Party, something Xi strongly disagrees with.

Ren's comments highlight the growing discontent and frustration over Xi's authoritarian rule.

This is, however, not the first time when Ren faced Xi's ire. In 2016, Chinese Communist Party officials put Ren on a one-year probation after he criticised Xi's policies.