"Mr Wang Lin, if you are determined to jab me to death with your magic fingers, as you have declared, I am right here in Beijing waiting for you. But if you never show up, I will not rule out going to Pingxiang, Jiangxi, together with the media, to subject myself to the test of your supernatural powers at your doorstep."

Sima Nan, an independent academic and social commentator, on Tuesday challenged Wang Lin, a self-proclaimed master of qigong, a spiritual martial art, in Pingxiang, Jiangxi province. Wang, 61, came to public attention recently when he was visited by Jack Ma, the founder of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.