"In a normal society, a performance artist who ignores the rule of law and the market economy would never have grown so powerful, and relieving him of that power wouldn't be so difficult, " writer Murong Xuecun wrote in a post that was later deleted.

WSJ: Online, the Political Drama Dominates Chinese Chatter

But to do this, they must first end their involvement in terrorism and open their economy to free market forces and the transparency and rule of law and protection for property rights that form the foundations of those forces.

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