‘Why Do So Many People Hate Xi Jinping?’ Viral Post Sparks Heated Online Debate

By Li Muzi, Vision Times

A Chinese-language post titled “Why Do So Many People Hate Xi Jinping?” has gone viral on X, drawing more than 400,000 views and sparking a slew of comments venting over the public’s frustration toward China’s president and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

On Feb. 15, an X account named “Fight for freedom” wrote that both inside and outside China, many are asking the same question: “Why do so many people hate Xi Jinping?” The post claimed the answer could be summed up in four points: Economic decline across the country, suffocating political control, severe human rights abuses, and diplomatic isolation.

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Reaching a boiling point

The post argued that China’s economic slowdown has directly impacted ordinary livelihoods, citing the collapse of major property developers and rising youth unemployment. “Real estate has exploded into a chain of defaults… Evergrande and Country Garden have become graveyards, and tens of millions of families have lost everything,” it said, adding that youth joblessness has surpassed 20 percent and that private businesses are being squeezed out as the state expands its control.

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The author claimed that decades of accumulated wealth have been squandered under Xi’s leadership. The post also described an atmosphere of tightening repression, writing that citizens are living “like prisoners,” pointing to censorship, crackdowns on dissent, and the legacy of China’s COVID-era “zero-COVID” restrictions.

It alleged that public discourse remains heavily restricted, with even discussions of “not marrying or not having children” labeled as “negative energy.” A third theme focused on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet, accusing Beijing of crossing fundamental human rights red lines.

The post claimed that “over a million Uyghurs” have been held in “re-education camps,” and said the Hong Kong national security law has crushed democratic opposition. It added that official narratives frame these actions as “stability maintenance,” while critics abroad call them “genocide.” Online slang targeting Xi, the post noted, has proliferated both inside and outside China.

Finally, the author criticized Beijing’s foreign policy, condemning “wolf warrior diplomacy” and large overseas spending initiatives. It accused China of aligning with Russia, Iran, and North Korea, while funneling massive resources abroad through Belt and Road projects. The post quoted angry netizens asking: “People at home are going hungry, and you’re playing savior overseas?”

The post concluded that early optimism surrounding Xi has turned into widespread resentment: “Ten years later, all that remains is people hoping he leaves soon.”

Online reactions: Blame Xi or the system?

The comment section featured additional extreme statements, including one user alleging: “Xi personally directed the release of the Wuhan pneumonia virus… a crime against humanity.” Others argued that anger should be directed at the Communist system itself: “If the CCP doesn’t fall, the world will never have peace,” one wrote. Another added: “Without Xi, there will be another one… the system must be overturned.”

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Yuan Hongbing, a China-based legal scholar now living in Australia, told Vision Times that rumors circulating within Beijing’s political circles suggest growing elite dissatisfaction, particularly after reported purges involving senior military figures.

Yuan said that despite renewed warnings against “improper discussion of the central leadership,” officials appear increasingly indifferent. He described Beijing’s internal “whispers” as “a microscope” into the psychology of the CCP’s ruling class, suggesting many now question whether Xi is truly strong. “Officials have come to suspect that the political idol they pledged loyalty to is in fact a coward,” he said.

He warned that even those forced into submission may eventually turn: “CCP officials… are a group forced to become servile. But even rats have fangs… If they confirm Xi is merely a political fraud… then a collective backlash will become highly probable.”

He added, “Through these phenomena, we can judge that Xi Jinping is now standing on the edge of a potential crisis.”