Chinese economist Gao Shanwen, who drew international attention after publicly questioning the accuracy of China’s economic growth data, has died from what state media described as an “unknown disease.” He was 55.
Gao’s death has reignited discussions about the fate of critics of the Communist Party of China (CPC), particularly those who challenge official narratives under President Xi Jinping’s administration. He had previously disappeared from public view for extended periods under unexplained circumstances before briefly resurfacing and then vanishing again.
A prominent economist who formerly worked with SDIC Securities, a state-backed investment firm, Gao came under the global spotlight in 2024 during a conference in Washington. There, he suggested that China’s actual GDP growth over the previous two to three years “might be around 2 per cent” on average — significantly lower than the roughly 5 per cent growth reported by Chinese authorities.
Soon after returning to China, Gao disappeared from public view. Although he resurfaced briefly in 2025, he was rarely seen publicly thereafter.
Chinese state-run newspaper Shanghai Securities News announced his death but did not provide details regarding the cause. The publication described Gao as “one of the most influential macroeconomists in China’s capital market.”
During his prolonged absence from public life, reports circulated that he was under investigation, a term often associated with disciplinary actions or political scrutiny in China. At one point, an unnamed source reportedly claimed that Gao had been battling cancer, though no official confirmation was provided.
Despite China’s tightly controlled online environment, news of Gao’s death prompted an outpouring of reactions on Chinese social media. Several users praised him for speaking candidly about the country’s economic challenges.
“A rare economist who spoke the truth; in the last couple of years, only the ‘optimist’ economists are left,” one user wrote on Xiaohongshu, a popular Chinese social media platform.
Pattern Of Disappearances And Deaths
Gao’s death has also revived attention on several high-profile figures who challenged official narratives and later faced detention, disappearance, or unexplained deaths.
Among them was Dr. Li Wenliang, the Wuhan physician who attempted to warn colleagues about a mysterious viral outbreak in late 2019. His messages later became widely known as one of the earliest alerts about the coronavirus outbreak. Li died in February 2020 after contracting COVID-19, becoming a symbol of public frustration over the handling of the pandemic.
Citizen journalist Zhang Zhan was also detained after reporting from Wuhan during the pandemic. Through videos and social media posts, she documented overcrowded hospitals and questioned official narratives surrounding the outbreak.
Another prominent case was that of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who died in 2017 while serving an 11-year prison sentence for advocating political reforms and democratic rights.
Human rights activist Cao Shunli died in detention in 2014 after supporters alleged authorities delayed medical treatment despite her deteriorating health.
Concerns over detention practices in China were further amplified by the 2013 death of engineer Yu Qiyi. Chinese media later reported that local party officials involved in his interrogation had used physical abuse, leading to his death.
While Chinese authorities have consistently defended their legal and disciplinary systems, cases involving dissidents, activists, journalists, and critics continue to attract scrutiny from human rights organisations and international observers.