Chinese journalist linked to Xi petition rumours, disappears

A Chinese journalist who had been linked with an online petition which called for the resignation of the Chinese president has disappeared, according to international media reports.

Jia Jia disappeared on Tuesday from Beijing airport, where he had been catching a flight to Hong Kong. His family say they have no way of tracing him after police and airline officials said they had no knowledge of his whereabouts, according to his lawyer.

The lawyer, Yan Xin, said he could not confirm that the government is holding Jia because authorities at the airport, local police, immigration services and the airline have all denied knowledge of his case.

One of Jia’s friends said the writer had written in an online group chat with several friends, saying he had nothing to do with the online petition..

They believe that his disappearance is linked to the petition, which briefly appeared on a government-linked news site earlier this month

The petition criticized Xi’s handling of economic and domestic political affairs and noted that more and more factions of the Communist Party oppose the president’s tightening grip over free speech, the government bureaucracy and dissent within the party.

It is believed that the petition, which was signed “Loyal Communist Party Members,” had struck a nerve precisely because there is an undercurrent of resistance to Xi’s rule within the highest ranks of the party.

Chinese police are required by law to notify family of a detained person within 24 hours unless the case endangers state security. Detainees in politically sensitive cases are frequently held much longer without any official acknowledgment.