China grappling with HFT activities run by foreign firms in its capital markets

Tweet China’s influential newspaper Caixin, recently investigated the renewed use of high-frequency trading (HFT) in China’s futures market, operated by foreign companies that, it reports, are incorporated under fictitious corporate purposes. According to Caixin, some HFT firms are ostensibly registered to engage in the trading of physical goods in China, when in reality they are […]

Politically exposed Chinese foreign national pleads guilty to immigration fraud

Tweet Shilan Zhao (趙世蘭), the ex-wife of a Chinese official and a politically exposed person, has pleaded guilty to immigration fraud related to the EB5 investor visa program in the US and will serve a term of incarceration of five years. Zhao conspired with her husband, Jianjun Qiao (喬建軍), aka Feng Li, to immigrate to […]

$2,000,000,000,000 in Proceeds of Corruption Removed from China and Taken to US, Australia, Canada and Netherlands

Tweet The questions and answers I’ve been asked the most in 2016 about China: Q: How much money has been removed from China in proceeds of corruption? A: According to the Bank of China, way over US$120 Billion or CAD$160 Billion between the years 1995-2008. China appears to have quit sharing data officially after 2011 […]

China and US agree to cooperate to help China track down & repatriate “economic fugitives”

Tweet Late last week, at a meeting in Beijing, the US and China agreed to continue cooperating in the removal of Chinese foreign nationals from the US who are suspected of having immigrated with proceeds of corruption. The meeting took place between Meng Jianzhu, Secretary of the Central Politics and Law Commission, and national police chief Guo […]

Ming Pao Newspaper covers diamond smuggling trade from Hong Kong to Vancouver

Tweet Diamond smuggling into Vancouver The Ming Pao Saturday Magazine has an interesting story on the arrest of two men from Hong Kong who attempted to smuggle $120 million worth of diamonds into Canada. The diamonds were strapped to their legs and are believed to be proceeds of crime. The story discusses the issue of […]

The Chinese Way – the impact of China’s anti-corruption campaign on trade-based money laundering and Macau casinos

Tweet Money Laundering Bulletin in the UK has a good article out today on the anti-corruption drive in China and its impact on the casinos in Macau, which explores the anti-money laundering lapses and lack of legislation in the gambling industry in Macau, and the corresponding increase of trade-based money laundering in China. Trade-based money laundering […]

Asian newspaper says money mules from Asia are smuggling suitcases full of US cash to Vancouver to avoid FATCA and IRS

Tweet Suitcases full of cash muled to Vancouver by cash couriers According to this article in South China Morning Post, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA“), will result in the growth of Asia’s underground or shadow banking system, including an increase in the use of cash mules who transport suitcases full of US cash from […]

How Canadian and US immigrants from China & Hong Kong move billions of dollars overseas

Tweet Bloomberg News has a follow-up article here on last week’s story of how wealthy immigrants from China and Hong Kong use alleged money-laundering services offered by the Bank of China Ltd. to transfer funds to Canada and the US. Last week, China Central Television broadcast a story alleging that the Bank of China offered a money […]

Wealthy immigration programs like EB-5 from China to US just got a lot less attractive with FATCA

Tweet According to this article in the Wall Street Journal, the IRS and the government of China are negotiating an agreement whereby the US would provide financial information to the government of China on Chinese foreign nationals living in the US. The information provided to China will likely include asset, financial, corporate and personal information […]

China seeking advice on deporting 1,000 EB-5 immigrants from US and recover assets in what may be the first cases of G20 “denial of safe haven” policy

Tweet Removal of Foreign Nationals & Asset Recovery According to several news reports, such as the one here, the government of China is in discussions with the US government (and firms) regarding the process to deport or extradict former Chinese nationals believed to have immigrated with billions of dollars in proceeds of crime from corruption. […]