Expelled Chinese Communist Party member lashes out at Xi Jinping, says other leaders eager to leave

A former professor at China's elite Central Party School, who has been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for criticising President Xi Jinping, has lashed out at the leader accusing him of "killing a country" and claiming that many others want to quit the party.

Cai Xia, a professor who taught at the school, a higher education institution for top officials, was expelled from the party on Monday after an audio criticising the Chinese President, was leaked online in June, The Guardian reported.

Cai, who no longer stays in China, had made remarks that "damaged the country's reputation" and were full of "serious political problems", according to the school, where she was a professor since 1992.

The professor told the newspaper that she "happy to be expelled".

"Under the regime of Xi, the CCP is not a force for progress for China. In fact, it is an obstacle to China's progress," Cai was quoted as saying.

"I believe I am not the only one who wants to leave this party. More people would like to withdraw or quit this party. I had intended to quit the party years ago when there was no more room to speak and my voice was completely blocked," she said.

Earlier in June, the professor spoke to the Guardian after the audio recording was first released. She took on Xi, slamming him for making China "an enemy" of the world.

Her comments against Xi and CCP will reverberate across the party and country, where public criticism from within the establishment is very rare.

On Tuesday, Cai, who initially said she did not want her June interview to be published due to the threats she and her family received said she was now willing to speak out, according to The Guardian.

"I have much more freedom now. My speech is free from any constraints. I am responsible only for my own conscience and principles," the professor said.

Cai revealed there was widespread opposition within the party but few had the courage to speak out, afraid of political retaliation in the form of internal party discipline and corruption charges.

Xi's "unchecked power" and his hold on all major decision-making led to inevitable mistakes like handling of COVID-19 outbreak, the professor asserted.

China has blamed local officials for suppressing news about the outbreak in Wuhan, where the virus first emerged. On January 20, Chinese health officials said the virus was contagious, following the outbreak in December last year.

However, according to a speech published by 'Qiushi', the party magazine, Xi met the politburo and gave directives on the response to tackle the virus on January 7, nearly two weeks before the public was warned.

"If he knew on January 7, why did it take until January 20 to announce the outbreak? In other words, the fact that people were concealing the news from him is the result of the system. But when he knew the situation on January 7, he did not make it public or mobilise resources. So should not he bear responsibility?" Cai said.

"When no one can oppose him, that means that his power is unlimited. He has made the world an enemy. At home, all these big issues are left to him to decide. In other words, whether it is a domestic or international issue, it is very difficult for others to restrict him. It is inevitable that his judgment and decisions will be mistaken," she added.

"It is a vicious cycle. After a wrong decision is made, the result is not good. But those below are too afraid to tell him and wrong decisions continue to be made until the situation is out of control. In this vicious cycle, there is no way to stop the country from sliding towards disaster," the professor continued.

Cai said that many of her "good friends" who saw the news of her being expelled from CCP are "cheering". "They think this is a good thing," she remarked.

"Those within the party have experienced the last 20-30 years and they understand which direction is right and which is a dead end. We are among a group of cadres who started in our posts after reform and opening. So, that is why I say everyone is very clear about what is happening," the professor was quoted as saying.

( With inputs from ANI )