Although Ai has been on the outs with Chinese authorities for many years, he has never before been arrested, at least partially because of his prominent heritage, the Financial Times suggests. He is the son of the famous Communist poet, Ai Qing, and the descendants of revolutionary heroes receive protection in China. But it probably doesn’t help that his father later ended up on the outs with the Communist authorities during the Cultural Revolution. The Ai family was banished to the Gobi desert for many years.
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Ai Weiwei: Why does he make Chinese authorities nervous?
The famous Chinese artist and political dissident Ai Weiwei hasn’t been heard from since his arrest Sunday by Chinese authorities.
His father was a famous revolutionary.
