China’s Guo Wengui, one of the ruling Communist Party’s most wanted exiles, has applied for political asylum in the United States, his lawyer said.
Chinese real estate tycoon Guo Wengui, one of the ruling Communist Party’s most wanted exiles, has applied for political asylum in the United States, his lawyer said, in a move that could keep him out of Beijing’s grasp for at least several more years.
Guo’s asylum request poses a diplomatic quandary for the Trump administration, which must decide whether to expel a high-profile Chinese dissident or risk infuriating Beijing.
Guo’s lawyer, Thomas Ragland, said Thursday the billionaire will stay «legally protected» in the U. S. while his application is being reviewed, a process that normally takes more than two years. If his request is denied, Guo could stay in the country while he exhausts his appeals, Ragland added.
Chinese officials told the AP in August that Guo is being investigated in at least 19 major criminal cases that involve bribery, kidnapping, fraud, money laundering and rape — allegations that Guo has denied.
Above all, Guo has attracted Beijing’s ire by unleashing numerous allegations of high-level corruption within the Communist Party that have rocked Chinese politics.
