Shoe Thrown At Ren Zhiqiang, Outspoken Property Developer

Ren Zhiqiang is the CEO of real-estate property development company Beijing Huayuan Group and is popularly hated for his many comments that are unsympathetic to the many people who are unhappy and unable to afford the soaring real estate prices in China.

From NetEase and Mop:

Ren Zhiqiang encounters thrown shoe while giving speech, claims shoe-thrower isn’t even a house slave

Summary: Afternoon of the 7th, Ren Zhiqiang is at the forum held by the Dalian Real Estate Association and just after stepping on stage, a pair of shoes were thrown at the stage by a member of the audience screaming “Go to hell!”. Ren Zhiqiang laughed and said this treatment is comparable to that of a president’s, even expressing that the shoe-thrower isn’t a “house slave”, but someone who can’t even afford a down payment.

[A “house slave” is a nickname for someone who is bound to a mortgage.]

On YouTube:

From Baidu Baike:

[Ren Zhiqiang’s] Infamous Quotes:

1. “Vermicelli sold at shark’s fin price is called a “bubble” [referring to real estate bubble].
2. Everyone can afford houses, some should not purchase more houses.
3. “Real estate developers must horde land. Only when we have land in our hands can our hearts be at peace.”
4. “Wages are growing, GDP is growing, so if housing prices don’t grow then it would be wrong.”
5. “Chinese people are too rich, and houses are too cheap.”
6. “We are just servant girls.”
7. “Macroeconomic controls are not for housing prices to fall, but to allow them to steadily grow.”
8. “When housing prices fall, property developers have the right to not build houses.”
9. Real estate is supposed to be an enterprise with enormous profits.”
10. “I am a businessman, I don’t consider the poor.”
11. “Those people who didn’t buy houses have all lost.”
12. There are still a lot of land in China that is still available for development.”
13. High-end housing is supposed to be unaffordable for poor people”
14. “Publicly revealing developer’s costs is paramount to men revealing their wives’ measurements.”
15. “My housing prices will not drop, I would rather non-locals, even foreigners come buy my houses.”
16. “If you can’t afford a house, why not return to the countryside?”
17. “You dare to bite me? Well?”

Comments from NetEase

网易陕西西安网友:

Ren Zhiqiang. Such a wasted opportunity. Why didn’t that person throw a kitchen knife? It would have been better if that person threw a kitchen knife.

网易山东青岛网友:

Actually, everything “Big Cannon” [Ren Zhiqiang’s nickname] says is truth.

网易四川成都网 友:

I think Ren Zhiqiang has already explained the essence of why there a high housing price problem has developed in China, yet some people refuse to listen, which may also be why they can’t afford houses. Even from a perspective different from a buying a house, us young people should struggle [to make a life/establish oneself]. If not for a house then for what? For ourselves. This society [world] will always have different levels, and in the future when the differences are larger and larger, those who cannot afford a house should seriously reflect upon themselves.

网易澳大利亚网友:

Disgusting people I’ve seen a lot of. If they’re low-key, that’s fine. However, I’ve never met a person as disgusting as this coming out being flippant and arrogant everywhere. Well-thrown!

网易欧洲网友:

Send Sister Feng to Ren Zhiqiang. I think the two of them would really be a good pair.

网易四川成都网友:

Someone throws an old shoe towards a garbage bin and he takes himself as a president.

网易广西贵港网友:

“Big Cannon” Ren got what he deserves. People can’t even pay the down payment. Look at this world, isn’t the gap between rich and poor far too wide? What right do you have to eat delicacies every day while those who belong to the bottom levels of society should live in suffering?

网易山西太原网友:

I don’t have a bomb. If I had a bomb to throw, I would bomb you to death you bastard.

网易广西贵港网友小李:

Pummel Old Dog Ren, this dog shit. This motherfucker is too detestable!

网易广东深圳网 友:

I’ve been struggling [to make a life/establish oneself] in Shenzhen for four years, and I finally have a house that can be called my own. Amongst my classmates, I am amongst the so-called “successful”, and indeed I have “ate a lot of bitterness” [gone through many difficulties], expended a lot of energy. Nowadays, a lot of recent graduates, who didn’t study hard in school in the first place, upon entering society are not willing to “eat bitterness” [work hard] either, not willing to lower their heads and work, and yet they expect to buy a house after one or two years. Let me ask, of life’s biggest things, buying a house should be one of them. Since it is a big thing, how could it be easily realized? I think Ren Zhiqiang is right, those who are cursing him should first reflect upon themselves.

网易浙江台州网友:

Actually, our country’s real estate [situation] is not just the developers’ fault. Is the ZF not responsible for a bit of it at all? If they normally don’t take so many kickbacks, would housing prices have increased like this?

网易重庆网友:

Throw a used maxi pad to seal his mouth!!!

网易广西网友:

Anyone ant to pool money together and hire an assassin? I will offer three months salary.

网易吉林长春网友:

China’s housing prices are unable to drop now! Home speculators + developers + an imperfect system = China’s housing market.

网易河北衡水网友:

When I was in training, the teacher said: Property developers are like whores, becoming addicted to this line of work. The money comes fast with little effort. However, good people really can’t do it.

What do you think?

UPDATE: Some more translated information at EastSouthWestNorth.