2026-10-13
On October 13, 2026, Beijing time, X user LuJun Quan (@QuanLujun) posted a retrospective tribute to Ren Zhiqueng. The tweet said that Ren could have enjoyed a comfortable and fulfilling family life, but out of compassion and conscience for the底层 people of China, he resolutely spoke out publicly, and even knowing the struggle would be difficult, he chose to follow his heart. The remarks drew some attention online.
2026-10-13
Ren Zhiqiang, now 75, was arrested in 2020 for publicly criticizing Xi Jinping and sentenced to 18 years in prison the same year. He has lost his freedom for more than 6 years, and reports recently emerged that his health has deteriorated in prison, which has been verified as true.
2026-09-28
A private video of Pan Shiyi discussing Ren Zhiqiang spread inside the Great Firewall, after which it was banned across the entire internet; the names involved were also said to have become sensitive words.
2026-09-27
A recording of a private dinner in the United States at which Pan Shiyi discussed the Ren Zhiqiang case and a list of 11 people has circulated on Weibo and the X platform, drawing attention.
2026-09
Rumors emerged online that Ren Zhiqiang died in prison; the relevant accounts said the news has not yet been verified.
2024-10
Ren Xinyi wrote an open letter stating that her father, Ren Zhiqiang, is suffering from a severe prostate condition and is in great pain in prison, and requested that he be granted medical parole.
2020-09-22
The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced Ren Zhiqiang to 18 years in prison and fined him 4.2 million yuan on charges of embezzlement, bribery, misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of power by personnel of state-owned companies.
2020-09-22
Ren Zhiqiang, who was once active in Alashan SEE and published articles criticizing the supreme leader, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in September 2020 on charges including corruption and bribery.
2020-09-22
Ren Zhiqiang was sentenced to 18 years in prison for remarks criticizing epidemic prevention policies and other statements, sending shockwaves through China's entrepreneurial community.
2020-07-23
Ren Zhiqiang's expulsion from the Chinese Communist Party was announced.
2020-07-23
The Chinese Communist Party issued a notice on disciplinary action against Ren Zhiqiang, listing as a problem his publication of articles publicly opposing the Four Cardinal Principles.
2020-03-12
Ren Zhiqiang was taken away by special personnel from the Beijing municipal discipline inspection commission; his eldest son and long-time secretary were arrested the same day.
2020-03-12
Ren Zhiqiang disappeared from public view after an article criticizing Xi Jinping.
2020-03-12
After Ren Zhiqiang's article circulated, he lost contact for a time; Pan Shiyi later said that 10 other recipients besides himself were all arrested.
2020-03-06
Ren Zhiqiang's article spread across multiple WeChat groups and subsequently reached Twitter and other overseas online platforms.
2020-03
Ren Zhiqiang wrote "The People's Interests" and sent it through private channels to eleven people, including Pan Shiyi.
2020-02-23
During the Wuhan pandemic, Ren Zhiqiang wrote a long article criticizing epidemic prevention and control as well as the personality cult, which caused a huge反响 and he subsequently went missing.
2020-02
Ren Zhiqiang published an article criticizing the epidemic response and Xi Jinping, in which he called Xi Jinping "a clown who insists on being emperor even stripped of his clothes."
2018
A house-price article falsely attributed to Ren Zhiqiang has been circulating online, and Pan Shiyi responded on Ren Zhiqiang's behalf through his own Weibo account.
2016-05-02
The Xicheng District Committee of Beijing has decided to place Ren Zhiqiang on probation within the party for one year, finding that he has repeatedly made erroneous remarks.
2016-02-28
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has legally closed the Weibo account of Ren Zhiqiang, who had nearly 37 million followers, on the grounds of "continuously publishing illegal information."
2016-02-28
Ren Zhiqiang publicly questioned the requirement that media sponsored by the Party and the government must bear the Party's name. Subsequently, his Weibo account, which had more than 30 million followers, was shut down, and he was given the punishment of probation within the Party.
2016-02-19
Ren Zhiqiang publicly questioned on Weibo that “party media are partisan”, prompting a concentrated criticism by official media, and was labeled “anti-party” etc.
2016
Ren Zhiqiang steps down as chairman of Alashan SEE, and the media reported with the headline “Alashan Bids Farewell to the Era of Big Shots”, indicating a shift in the direction of the times.
2014
During Ren Zhiqiang's tenure as president, he vigorously promoted the "One Suosuo Tree" project, combining desertification control with the development of the rural economy, achieving significant ecological and economic benefits.
2013-08-10
China has begun a crackdown on major online influencers, issuing regulations such as the “Seven Bottom Lines for Cyberspace”, and Ren Zhiqiang foresaw the danger of speaking the truth in his book.
2013
Ren Zhiqiang actively interacted with netizens on Weibo, and his influence rapidly expanded, making him a public figure with immense public opinion power, even capable of influencing the stock prices of listed companies.
2013
Ren Zhiqiang was elected the fifth president of Alxa SEE. His role shifted from supervisor to organizer, where he began learning to listen and compromise, setting a pragmatic goal of increasing membership by 200.
2013
Big Fifty-Cent Sima Nan publicly questioned Pan Shiyi and Ren Zhiqiang over suspected benefit transfers and the embezzlement of state-owned assets, slapping them with the "Pan-Ren-Mei" label.
2013
According to a friend of Pan Shiyi, after the internet management meeting requested attendees to post less critical content, Ren Zhiqiang immediately retorted by asking if it was wrong to speak up when one is in the right.
2013
In an interview with People magazine, Ren Zhiqiang talked about Pan Shiyi's Bahá'í faith and said that he believes in the Chinese Communist Party, and that the two can still be friends.
2008
During Wang Shi's tenure as the second president of Alxa SEE, the association experienced an incident where the secretariat unilaterally added investment funds. Ren Zhiqiang proposed impeachment, and Wang Shi publicly acknowledged his mistakes, demonstrating the association's rules' constraint on power.
2007
Ren Zhiqiang ran for the supervisor of Alxa SEE for the third time. With his image as a "public enemy" and his persistent attitude of speaking the truth, he impressed the audience and was elected chairman of the second council with a high number of votes.
2006
Ren Zhiqiang's remarks on commodity housing at a public forum were taken out of context by the media, leading to him being labeled as 'only building houses for the rich', and the nickname 'Ren Cannon' spread as a result.
2004-06-05
A group of China's top entrepreneurs established the Alxa SEE Ecological Association in Alxa. During the founding conference, they engaged in fierce discussions over organizational bylaws, election methods, and other issues, ultimately tearing up the pre-arranged list and establishing a rule-based operating model.
2004
Ren Zhiqiang ran for supervisor of Alxa SEE for the first time but was not elected. He later stated in his memoirs that this failure made him truly understand the rules of organizations and the principle of equality for all.
2003
The Beijing municipal government invited entrepreneurs to discuss economic policy. While Pan Shiyi was speaking, Ren Zhiqiang took over the topic, criticized the policy, and demanded that officials uphold the credibility of the market.
2000
Ren Zhiqiang wrote a letter criticizing SOHO Modern City; the related criticisms, Pan Shiyi's response, and outside debate were later compiled into "Critique of SOHO Modern City."
1996
Before Huayuan's listing in Hong Kong, an anonymous letter reported Ren Zhiqiang as having a criminal record based on his past experiences; Ren Zhiqiang subsequently obtained a certificate stating that he had been acquitted.
1993
Pan Shiyi went from Hainan to Beijing to look for projects and visited Ren Zhiqiang, and the two met for the first time through this.
1985
Ren Zhiqiu was locked up in a detention center over economic issues and was detained for 14 months in total; after his release, the ruling issued by the procuratorate stated that it "need not be deemed a crime."