The Second Intermediary Court of Beijing announced on its website September 22, that 69-year old Ren Zhiqiang, 'princeling', real estate tycoon and outspoken critic of Chinese President Xi Jinping was sentenced to 18 years prison and fined about $619,000 for corruption and bribery in his previous position as chairman of Huayuan Real Estate Group. 

(Comment: The harsh sentence was not a surprise as few who have criticized Xi Jinping in such a public way in China have escaped unscathed. For example, Wei Jingsheng, who criticised the whole system, in 1979 was awarded a 15-year sentence.)