Chinese Economist Gao Shanwen, Known for Criticizing China's Economy, Passes Away at 55

(CNA, Taipei, 13th) Gao Shanwen, a Chinese economist known for openly criticizing economic issues and angering authorities, passed away on the 7th due to cancer. According to reports from mainland and Hong Kong media, Gao's memorial service was held on the 11th at Babaoshan in Beijing, attended by hundreds.

Reports from Sing Tao Headline and Economic Observer noted the memorial was held at the East Hall of Babaoshan, Beijing, with hundreds in attendance. A mourning couplet hung before the hall: the upper line read, 'Establishing heart and mission for peace, continuing the thousand-year cultural lineage of Guanzhong,' and the lower, 'For the nation and people, worrying for the world, adding a century of glory to Yan Garden.'

Li Wensheng, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Peking University Alumni Association, said during the farewell ceremony, 'May we who live follow Shanwen’s example—cultivating ourselves inwardly, becoming upright and noble individuals, striving to be true gentlemen.' He described Gao as a gentleman who upheld moral principles.

Born in 1971, Gao was 55 at the time of his passing. In December 2024, at an investment conference in Shenzhen, he stated that post-pandemic realities in Chinese society could be summarized as 'vibrant elders, lifeless youth, and middle-aged with no will to live.' He explained that while retirees receive stable pensions, young people's expectations for future income growth have sharply declined, leading them to 'tighten their belts and eat noodles in the dark,' suppressing consumption and worsening economic difficulties.

In mid-December of the same year, Gao questioned China's GDP growth figures again at an economic forum in Washington, D.C. (Editors: Lu Chia-jung / Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150713

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