Elite Chinese Dissident Shows Limits to Xi’s Power

‘Big Cannon’ tweaks chairman’s nose

The investigation of Ren Zhiqiang, a Red aristocrat and critic of Chinese President Xi Jinping, highlights the limits of Xi’s power and threatens to tarnish the reputation of Xi and China in the global pandemic. Although Ren has been out of contact since March after implying Xi was a “naked clown,” he is unlikely to face the kind of punishment meted out…