[grey-area]

If you want another business example how about the founder of Foxconn, made some pro Taiwan statements and running for president there, then suddenly gets investigated and inevitably will be found guilty.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67186745

'For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law'

China does not have rule of law, the law is used to intimidate rivals for power and applied very selectively. This is not just for people at the top, businesses at all levels feel this danger. It’s also not just for business people but anyone prominent. These are all hallmarks of a dictatorship.

[natmaka]

My point was not about the nature of the political regime but about it's ways towards businesses: does it emits strong directives on all accounts/levels?

My point is that, albeit there are perimeters strictly under its exclusive control (Taiwan being one, battles opposing Chinese individuals/companies being another), entrepreneurs and bosses are quite free to decide and to act.

Everything related to Taiwan is heavily politically loaded in China, this is one of the few taboos, and everyone knows it there.

[grey-area]

So as long as you don't cross any of the constantly shifting and entirely arbitrary red lines (Tiananmen, Tibet, Lockdown, Taiwan, Xi, any gov policy) you're safe?

This sort of behaviour and cooking the books by falsifying data is not compatible with foreign investment or a growing economy.

Now Xi (and unfortunately the rest of China with him) will reap the inevitable consequences of his policy shift from relatively open to a closed dictatorship.