A paid seminar led by former Tsinghua University associate professor Zheng Yuhuang in Beijing was reportedly interrupted by police after someone allegedly reported it as an “illegal gathering,” apparently objecting to the event’s pessimistic assessment of China’s economy, according to Hong Kong media.
Zheng, a former associate professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management who has since become an online influencer, hosted a two-day “Harvard Business School Case Analysis Camp” at a hotel near Beijing Capital International Airport on June 27–28.
On the first day, former Tsinghua sociology professor Sun Liping delivered a lecture on macroeconomic trends. According to attendees, Sun described China as being in a “recessionary period,” while the United States and Europe were “overheating” economically and Japan and South Korea were “recovering.”
During Zheng’s session on future economic trends on the second day, two police officers reportedly entered the venue and asked him to step outside for questioning. Participants said Zheng characterized China’s economic outlook as “pessimistic at the macro level, optimistic at the micro level,” predicting that the current environment could persist for another 20 to 30 years and drawing comparisons with Japan’s prolonged economic stagnation.
Zheng later wrote on social media that the event had been reported as a suspected “illegal gathering.” After he explained the nature of the seminar, the officers left within about five minutes, allowing the session to resume. He added that public visibility often attracts controversy and criticism.
Zheng left Tsinghua University about two years ago to establish the CMSI Institute of Scientific Marketing. The organization charges an annual membership fee of 999 yuan (approximately US$147), which includes one in-person lecture each year. The June seminar attracted around 500 attendees, while the separately ticketed “Harvard Business School Case Analysis Camp” that reportedly prompted the complaint cost 9,800 yuan (approximately US$1,444) per participant.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 2, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202607020038.aspx