It's crazy, but welcome to communist China.
"Ai is grabbing a lot of attention but people like Wen Tao are not as famous," said Wen's girlfriend Shi Qing. "[They] can do whatever they want [to him] and therefore the danger for him is bigger. I just hope that more people will pay attention to this case. It's related to Ai's. As long as Ai's case is not clear, he [Wen] won't be released."
Wen is one of four missing people who friends believe are being held simply because of their connections to the artist. Chinese authorities have now allowed Ai to see his wife, albeit briefly, and have apparently acknowledged that he is being held under residential surveillance.
Yet his four associates – Wen, driver Zhang Jinsong, accountant Hu Mingfen and designer Liu Zhenggang – have vanished entirely. Family members have repeatedly tried to register them as missing, only to be turned away by police. Supporters believe the authorities hope to extract testimony from the four that can be used against Ai.
