Guo Wengui (郭文貴), an exiled Chinese billionaire who has accused some of the most senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party of corruption, has applied for political asylum in the US, the New York Times reported yesterday.
Washington-based lawyer Thomas Ragland told the newspaper that Guo, who lives in New York and is in the US on a tourist visa expiring this year, was seeking asylum because his accusations had made him a “political opponent of the Chinese regime.”
Guo and Ragland could not immediately be reached outside of US business hours.
Photo: Reuters
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) said he was unaware of the situation when asked about it at a daily news briefing in Beijing.
Guo, who left China in 2014, has emerged as a political threat to the Chinese government in a sensitive year, unleashing a deluge of corruption allegations against high-level officials of the ruling party through Twitter posts and video blogs.
The businessman has made it clear that he wants to disrupt an important Chinese Communist Party congress, which is held every five years and due to begin on Oct. 18.
Despite providing scant evidence to back up his accusations, Guo’s standing as a former billionaire insider with ties to senior intelligence officials has meant his online video streams and prolific tweeting command attention, as well as the ire of Beijing.
Interpol issued a global “red notice” for Guo’s arrest in April, at Beijing’s request, while articles in Chinese state-controlled media have accused him of crimes including bribery, fraud and embezzlement.
Guo denies the accusations.
Guo is also being sued for defamation in the US by several Chinese individuals and companies, including HNA Group Co (海航集團).
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