AP, WELLINGTON
A former pharmaceutical executive whom Chinese authorities accuse of embezzling money and fleeing to New Zealand has settled his case for US$31 million, New Zealand police said yesterday, in a deal that represents an unusual level of cooperation between the two countries.
William Yan (閻永明), a New Zealand citizen, settled without acknowledging any criminal or civil liability, the police said in a statement.
Police had previously seized homes, luxury cars, including a Porsche and a Maserati, and stocks from the 47-year-old Yan, his wife and two associates, the statement said.
Police said they would release those items once Yan and the others handed over NZ$43 million (US$31.47 million).
Police said the money would then be split between the New Zealand and Chinese governments, with the amount each would get still to be determined.
New Zealand authorities refused to answer further questions about the case, including whether China would attempt to extradite Yan.
China’s embassy in Wellington did not immediately respond to questions.
The settlement is the largest of its kind ever made in New Zealand, and the first for crimes alleged to have occurred in China.
Critics say it raises questions about why Yan is not facing charges and how much New Zealand is acquiescing to Beijing’s demands.
China represents a crucial market for New Zealand’s agricultural exports, which include kiwifruit and dairy products.
One of Yan’s Auckland-based lawyers, Simon Lance, said in an e-mail that his client “does not accept that he is guilty of embezzling money in China.”
Another one of the lawyers, Marc Corlett, said in a statement that the settlement was a “commercial compromise” that would allow Yan to recover his seized assets and “return his focus to his business activities in New Zealand and elsewhere.”
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said the police handle investigations independently and it is up to them to determine whether it is better to settle a case or pursue charges.
However, opposition lawmaker Winston Peters said the way the case was handled was demeaning for New Zealand.
“You know, we’re dancing on a pinhead for China in so many areas,” he said.
As part of an operation it calls Sky Net, China last year issued a list of its 100 most-wanted economic fugitives, who it accuses of absconding overseas with ill-gotten gains.
Under the name Yan Yongming, Yan made the list at No. 5.
The listing said Yan is wanted by police in the northeast Chinese city of Tonghua, where he last worked as chairman of a pharmaceutical company, the Tonghua Golden Horse Group (通化金馬藥業集團). It lists three different passport numbers and three national identification numbers for Yan, who it also lists under the name Liu Yangming.
China said between 11 and 20 of the alleged economic fugitives have fled to New Zealand, making it the third-most popular destination behind the US and Canada.
CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT: A new committee would investigate a backlog of US weapons sales to Taiwan, said its chairman, US Representative Mike Gallagher The US should formally recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, and end its outdated and counterproductive “one China” policy, US Representative Tom Tiffany and 18 other US lawmakers wrote in a petition. “It is time to change the status quo and recognize the reality denied by the US government for decades: Taiwan is an independent nation,” Tiffany told the Epoch Times. “As our long-standing and valued partner, correctly acknowledging their independence from communist China is long overdue.” The resolution also asks the administration of US President Joe Biden to support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations and to negotiate a bilateral free-trade
The Pentagon is preparing for US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy to visit Taiwan later this year, Punchbowl News reported on Monday, citing an official directly involved in the talks. US administration officials anticipate McCarthy would visit Taiwan some time in the spring, the report said. McCarthy had previously pledged to visit Taiwan if he became House speaker. He was elected speaker earlier this month. He had also said that he would have liked to join then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s delegation when she visited Taiwan in August last year. Pelosi’s 19-hour visit to Taipei marked the first time in 25 years
Taiwan’s Chou Chieh-yu (周婕妤) was crowned the Kamui WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Champion after shutting out British pool titan Allison Fisher 9-0 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the organizers said on Sunday. Following the championship win at Harrah’s Resort and Casino Atlantic City, Chou pocketed US$30,000 and became the first female competitor to hold both the 9-ball and 10-ball world titles since Briton Kelly Fisher in 2012. Chou, 36, won the Predator World Women’s 10-Ball Championship in Austria in September last year after clinching a silver medal at last year’s World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, in July. “I’m very excited and it’s like
JOINT OPERATIONS: Participating in the IMET program, which offers professional training and education to military personnel, would boost Taiwan’s defense capabilities The US government is appropriating funding to help Taiwan participate in its International Military Education & Training (IMET) program to enhance interoperability and capabilities for joint operations of the Taiwanse and US militaries. The funding for Taiwan’s participation in the program is mentioned in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023, a US$1.7 trillion spending bill funding the US federal government for the fiscal year 2023. It covers funding for military support for Ukraine, defense spending and regions affected by natural disasters. The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) told the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) that IMET is an important US