Combative China editor whose tweets moved global markets retires

BEIJING • Mr Hu Xijin has retired as editor-in-chief of the Communist Party's Global Times newspaper, a perch he has used over the past 16 years to rattle markets and provide a Chinese response to Western critics.

"I have gone through the retirement formalities and no longer serve as the editor-in-chief of the Global Times," Mr Hu posted yesterday on China's Twitter-like Weibo, saying that at age 61 it was time for "Old Hu" to step down.

"I'll continue to contribute to Global Times as a special commentator and do my best for the Communist Party's media work," he added, without saying who would take over his role.

Mr Hu had edited the nationalist paper that serves up English-language articles and commentary to counter the Western-dominated narrative about China since 2005.

In recent years, he was the most prominent Chinese figure to comment on topics usually handled with extreme sensitivity by state agencies and propaganda organs.

"He is definitely the symbolic figure of commercial nationalism in China," said communications professor Fang Kecheng from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"Although there is speculation that he represents the official voice, he is actually not a high-ranking official in the party system. He navigated a way to please the party leaders and win the market."

While Mr Hu has been long known among China-watchers, his Twitter posts came under closer scrutiny by investors during former United States president Donald Trump's trade war, after he began accurately forecasting retaliatory moves by Beijing.

Mr Hu acknowledged the ambiguity of his role in an interview with Bloomberg News in 2019, saying then: "I'm not sure if Chinese officials are deliberately passing on information to me. The officials and I have a tacit understanding."

Back then, Mr Hu had fewer than 50,000 followers on Twitter. Now, he has some 450,000. On the US social media site that is banned in China, Mr Hu often telegraphs the Chinese government's message on issues he would not mention on his China-facing Weibo account, which has 24 million followers.

That was clear during the international uproar over tennis star Peng Shuai, who disappeared from public view after accusing a top party official of forcing her to have sex.

Mr Hu confirmed - citing unspecified sources - that Peng was safe, posting videos and images of China's former world No. 1 doubles player on his feed, saying: "Those who suspect Peng Shuai is under duress, how dark they must be inside."

His Weibo account and English-language newspaper made no mention of the case that attracted condemnation from tennis greats including Serena Williams, as well as the White House and the United Nations, and saw the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) pull out of China.

In one tweet, he accused the WTA of "coercing Peng Shuai to support the West's attack on (the) Chinese system".

Mr Hu's aggressive rhetoric and high profile drew criticism from liberal-leaning Web users, some of whom gave him derisive nicknames, such as "Hubian", a play on his name and job title, combined to mean "making things up". Others called him "Diaopan", or "catching a Frisbee with one's mouth", suggesting that he nimbly grasps changing narratives handed down from Beijing.

"I am very interested in his next steps, whether his posts will be censored... whether he will be regarded as obsolete by the ultra-nationalists among the younger generation," said Prof Fang.

BLOOMBERG