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Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

nytimes.com

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Re: Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

#31

Post by sanswork »

vecinu wrote: post #18
bitmapbrother wrote: post #13

>Mr. Xiao is a Canadian citizen with an Antiguan diplomatic passport, though he was born in China. Ah, the Antiguan diplomatic passport. This has tax evasion written all over it.

I thought the Canadian citizen part was more in line with money laundering and being a safe haven. I'm sure he's part of the contributing force on real estate increases in major cities across Canada (Vancouver/Toronto) mainly due (to my understanding) to being able to move money out of China and into something more stable, like Canadian real estate. It really pains me that people use Canada as a crutch to do their di…

The billionaires increase the housing supply(see Cityplace) or are buying such high end properties that the worst they do is make life a bit more expensive in the Bridle Path.

Re: Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

#32

Post by giarc »

chaostheory wrote: post #27
pixelbreaker wrote: post #12

https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/02/01/chinese-billionaire-ab... No-one knows why he's there. The issue is more with Chinese agents operating on Hong Kong soil. They shouldn't be.

why not?

Because Hong Kong is a separate state. They govern themselves.

Re: Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

#34

Post by xiaoma »

jrockway wrote: post #2

One country, one system.

Doesn't matter. The UK has no spine and will never push to enforce the terms of their 1997 treaty with China that transferred control of HK. When a trading partner is as valuable as China, all ideals go out the window.

I remember the promises well since I was in Taipei and watching Chris Patten, Britain's final governor of HK, talk about it on the news during the hand-off.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/05/hong-k...

Re: Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

#35

Post by [deleted] »

ajross wrote: post #4

Seems extraordinarily unlikely to be related to the current chaos within the US executive branch. The new Trump administration is dealing with like six or seven crises at the moment (of its own creation, no less). China knows that a little malfesance on its part won't come anywhere near TV news. This is what people mean when they praise things like a "steady hand on the tiller". These coming years are going to be one…

[deleted]

Re: Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

#36

Post by zkirill »

micaksica wrote: post #28

I don't have a lot of sympathy for this man's problems. When you're making your billions from the corruption in the Chinese state, you run the risk of ending up on the wrong side of it. It's no different than any other organized crime. I will be very surprised if Canada does or says anything of significance, given that these people are politically unpopular and causing issues for British Columbia. China has all the p…

I am a Canadian citizen who lives in British Columbia and is not Chinese or of Chinese descent. The fact that a Canadian citizen was "seized" is very concerning to me and I hope that our government gets on top of this swiftly.

I also don't see any facts on which you can base your corruption claim.

Re: Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

#38

Post by downandout »

pixelbreaker wrote: post #12

https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/02/01/chinese-billionaire-ab... No-one knows why he's there. The issue is more with Chinese agents operating on Hong Kong soil. They shouldn't be.

From your link: "She then said Xiao had contacted her and did not want to exaggerate the incident, according to the report."

I'm not sure the incident could be exaggerated, given China's propensity to execute those convicted of corruption/embezzlement. They kidnapped a billionaire in another country with the likely intent to kill him sooner or later.

Re: Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

#39

Post by jwtadvice »

This appears to be an aspect of the anti-corruption drive that has been holding billionaires and politically connected people high up in the Chinese government to account of the law, with Xiao Jianhua caught in financial fraud.

The controversy here isn't that China took Xiao Jianhua in to face the law, but that he was taken from Hong Kong, where an agreement with Britain gives its former colony de facto autonomy within its small borders until 2047 - which disallows Chinese police from entering there on their own until that time.

I haven't seen any reports yet about whether there has been cooperation with the Hong Kong provisional government (which would make his capture legal). Then, it's hard to determine exactly what happened as the source linked here hasn't done that investigation yet - and is reporting on rumors that there was a small (but notable if true) sovereignty violation.

Re: Billionaire Is Reported Seized from Hong Kong Hotel and Taken into China

#40

Post by dghughes »

bitmapbrother wrote: post #13

>Mr. Xiao is a Canadian citizen with an Antiguan diplomatic passport, though he was born in China. Ah, the Antiguan diplomatic passport. This has tax evasion written all over it.

Haven't you heard? Canada is the newest tax haven!

http://projects.thestar.com/panama-papers/canada-is-the-worl...

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