Washington Post reports a Chinese football superstar call for ending communist rule

Chinese sports stars are not accustomed to being vocal about their political views. But Hao Haidong, the retired soccer forward and all-time top goal scorer of the Chinese national side called for the demise of rule by Communist Party.

The talisman also clamored for the formation of a new government. This comes at a time when China is stretching its claws with the strengthening of its influence in the backdrop of its response to coronavirus.

The Washington Post reported Haidong appeared on Youtube as part of an apparent publicity campaign by the fugitive billionaire Guo Wengui, one of the Chinese government’s most reviled opponents.

Hao read an 18-point manifesto for a vision of a “New Federal State of China.” The soccer star said, “The Communist Party should be kicked out of humanity,” amid the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.

The call for the end of communist rule drew heavy criticism against the talisman. Hao’s Weibo social media account, which had close to 8 million followers, was banned.