My biggest surprise is how no one told Mr. Ma it is not a good idea to publicly say what he said neither did he recognize the consequences growing up in that environment and seeing so many precedents.
You can only get a little power and wealth by pushing against higher power and wealth to get a little more.
Over time you get a lot of power and wealth, so naturally you'll eventually push against the ultimate power.
Unfortunately, in the case of the people's republic, if you push against the ultimate power you pay the ultimate price.