Fraud

At least half of the Chinese men who were recently charged in a billion-dollar money-laundering probe in Singapore are from Anxi — a province in Fujian known for producing tea but is now frequently linked to its involvement in scams. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Chen Jing visits the county to find out how prevalent fraudulent activities are and the impact on its locals.

Zhongwang Group founder Liu Zhongtian was once on the Forbes list of China's richest billionaires. But he has now come under legal restraint and his company has filed for bankruptcy. What went wrong?

Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan explains the delicate relationship between private enterprises and local governments, in which both depend on each other for mutual benefit. But once the tenuous relationship runs awry, there is little recourse to right the situation.

PCR testing has become the norm in China and is now a burgeoning industry. However, despite the clear benefits of effective pandemic control, authorities must consider the cost implications before large-scale normalised testing can be implemented across the country. Zaobao correspondent Yang Danxu looks into the matter.

The case of Li Yayuanlun, a Chinese national who was kidnapped and forced to work as a “blood slave” by a gang of online scammers in Cambodia, sent shock waves through China. While the Cambodian police have questioned the veracity of Li's story, this incident nonetheless reflects the transnational illegal activities and violent crimes involving Chinese nationals in Cambodia.

In recent years, Chinese criminal gangs have moved to Southeast Asia including Myanmar, Laos and Thailand as China tightened its crackdown on telecom fraud at home. These gangs even have the support of local authorities in some cases. Now that the Chinese authorities are cracking down on cross-border crime, will the situation improve? Or will it be a never-ending merry-go-round?

Art historian Chiang Hsun remembers a lone Chinese snowball flower from his many overseas trips. Its pristine beauty was its allure. In this world where fakes abound, this image, lodged deep in his memory, is proof that authenticity exists.

What exactly is the relationship between former Trump right-hand man Steve Bannon, and fugitive China businessman Guo Wengui? What do their dealings show about the scaremongering tactics and half-truths that can be used in any society? Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong examines Bannon’s recent arrest and how Guo fits in.

For years, poor Chinese peasants, especially girls, were led to believe that they had failed their college entrance exams. Little did they know that schemers had misappropriated their identities. With a greater number of cases coming to light, some justice is being done. But many more steps still need to be taken, says Han Yong Hong, to show that the rights of vulnerable groups in Chinese society cannot be trampled on.