Belize businessman accused of fuelling Hong Kong unrest had links to disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai
- Media reports highlight Lee Henley Hu Xiang’s testimony in trial of former Chongqing party boss, who was jailed for life in 2013
- Verdict in Bo’s trial said Lee had testified that his company was involved in a complex US$3m property deal on the French Riviera
A Belizean citizen facing prosecution in mainland China for his alleged role in fuelling unrest in Hong Kong was linked to the case of disgraced politician Bo Xilai via a Shanghai-based company, according to media reports.
A brief report in local official media accused Lee of “providing a large amount of funds to hostile elements in the United States, colluding with foreign anti-China forces to intervene in Hong Kong affairs, and funding the implementation of criminal activities that endangered [China’s] national security”.
On Monday Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with party mouthpiece People’s Daily, reported that an unnamed former business associate of Lee and another “inside source” had said Lee was “a partner, first vice-president, shareholder and chief representative” of a US company called Eastern American.
The official verdict in Bo’s 2013 trial, issued by Jinan Intermediate People’s Court, mentioned both the company – using its translated Chinese name Meidong – and Lee, who was described as its first vice-president and Shanghai office representative.
Bo, who was once a member of the Communist Party’s decision-making Politburo, was arrested in 2012, months after his former aide, Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun, fled to the US consulate general in neighbouring Chengdu for refuge.