Punching high

MOST of China’s rich try to keep their heads down and avoid offending the Communist Party. Ren Zhiqiang (pictured), a retired property developer, is an exception. He is not only wealthy, but also has a microblog account with 38m followers—roughly the number of people living in California—whom he regales with snide comments on the country’s politics. What gives these added sting is that he is a party member. Adoring netizens call him “Big Gun Ren”.

Despite President Xi Jinping’s onslaught on dissent since he took power in 2012, Mr Ren has kept up his criticisms. This makes him all the more extraordinary. In recent days his microblogs have taken on Mr Xi himself, commenting scornfully on the president’s inspection tour on February 19th of the party’s main mouthpieces: the People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television. Mr Xi reminded them to toe the party line, or, as he put it, to keep “the surname ‘Party’”.