Tsinghua University suspends Xu Zhangrun, Chinese law professor who criticised Xi Jinping
- Xu Zhangrun has been placed under investigation by the university after he wrote several articles that were critical of political and social issues in China
- His friends and colleagues have called on Tsinghua to explain its decision
A liberal law professor at Tsinghua University who openly criticised Chinese President Xi Jinping has been suspended and placed under investigation by the university, according to one of his colleagues and several academics familiar with the situation.
Xu Zhangrun, 56, was suspended this month after he wrote several articles criticising Beijing over political and social issues, his colleague Guo Yuhua, a sociology professor at the university, told the South China Morning Post.
In one opinion piece last year, Xu questioned the personality cult surrounding Xi and the decision by the National People’s Congress to scrap the term limit on the Chinese presidency. The article, and others written by Xu critical of the president, were widely circulated online.
Guo said she had spoken to Xu since he received the notice from the university telling him he had been suspended.
“They spoke to him in person [as well] but I’m not sure if they actually told him the real reason” why he was suspended, Guo said.