Rogue State? China Abducts Top Businessman From Hong Kong

Xiao Jianhua, one of China’s richest men and the owner of Tomorrow Group, was abducted by the country’s police from his apartment at the Four Seasons hotel in Hong Kong and taken to the mainland. Jianhua is a Canadian citizenship and holds a diplomatic passport from Antigua and Barbuda. He has close links with the family of Chinese President Xi Jinping and has a net worth of $6 billion.

Hong Kong, a former British colony and now a self-governed part of China, has its own constitution which allows only the local police to operate within its territorial limits. The local police have said that they are investigating Jianhua’s disappearance, adding that the billionaire’s family has requested them to drop the case.

According to The Guardian, the businessman could be assisting with the investigation of a criminal act such as bribery, corruption and abuse of authority. Many believe that the Communist Party’s war against corruption, initiated by the president, is largely a way to consolidate power.

On Wednesday, in a front-page ad published in Hong Kong's Mingpao newspaper, Jianhua gave his statement saying that he hasn’t been abducted and is “recuperating overseas”. Other businessmen arrested and tortured bu China’s police have been forced to release such statements before.

Hong Kong police says that the businessman crossed into mainland China on 27 January, contradicting Jianhua’s claim in the newspaper ad. The arrest, which is a clear violation of Hong Kong’s constitution, throws light on how China has been slowly eroding "one country, two systems" policy agreed upon by the British and Chinese while negotiating Hong Kong’s future.