A cartoon cat has been vexing China's censors – now he says they are on his tail

His X account is a window into Xi Jinping's China where authorities' vice-like grip on information keeps tightening. As China sealed itself off, Mr Li - by now studying at a prestigious art school in Italy - became desperate to find out what was going on back home. X. Fears about Chinese espionage have been steadily growing in the West as ties with China sour. China has dismissed these allegations as "groundless and malicious defamation", and said it is committed to protecting the rights and safety of its people abroad. But the accusations are mounting. "Often there are nationalists and patriotic people who work with the government in a tandem, symbiotic relationship," said Yaqiu Wang, China research director at Freedom House. Wryly, Mr Li said he could be dubbed China's "most dangerous cat" - a reference to his X profile picture, which he drew. The Chinese government "is really afraid of outsiders knowing what China is really like is something they are even more afraid of.