Lai Changxing

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Lai Changxing : biography

1958 –

Canada

Lai fled to Canada with his wife Zeng Mingna (曾明娜) and children in August 1999. He paid US$1 million in cash for a house in South Granville Rise Vancouver. His kids went to private schools at a cost of US$4,000 a year and his wife opened a bank account with a deposit of US$1.5 million. They were chauffeur-driven around in a US$90,000 SUV. In 1999 he was detained apparently caught on a 28 day gambling spree at Niagara Falls casino. Lai was a regular customer at the casino where at one time bought as much as US$3 million worth of chips. Canadian police noticed him and suspected he was involved in money laundering or loan-sharking.

The family used a HKSAR passport to emigrate to Canada.http://www.singtao.com/index_archive.asp?d_str=20060603&htmlpage=main&news=0603eo03.html Following heavy pressure from Beijing, Lai’s Hong Kong permanent residency and HKSAR passport were revoked in 2002 by the Hong Kong Government, saying that he obtained the status dishonestly. Lai divorced his wife in June 2005. In 2009 Lai was granted a working permit and worked at a Vancouver real-estate company as a consultant.

Extradition

Lai’s corruption is known to have reached the top levels of the Chinese government.South China morning post. Nov 29, 2000. Lack of transfer agreement leaves SAR in ‘difficult situation’. He has publicly declared in the past that if he returned to China: "many high government officials will not be able to sleep. Incidents will happen." In relation to the case, 14 people have already been executed, about 300 provincial officials have already been put on trial.South China morning post. June 23, 2002. Canadian decision on fugitive welcomed. Since 2002 Beijing sent MSS agents to follow him wherever he went.

On July 22, 2011, Lai Changxing was extradited to China. He was escorted to Vancouver International Airport and boarded Air Canada flight 29 (AC 29) bound for Beijing. He was later transferred to Chinese custody on July 23, 2011, and signed an arrest warrant issued for his arrest upon his arrival in Beijing., Wenran Jiang, , July 23, 2011 Spokesman of the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs has expressed satisfaction concerning this decision, referring to Lai as responsible for the "biggest economic crime in the history of the People’s Republic of China." (bilingual), , July 23, 2011

Names

Despite his massive empire of wealth, Lai often smuggled goods into China and broke numerous trade laws.Inside the Red Mansion: On the trail of China’s most wanted man. Houghton Mifflin company. ISBN 978-0-618-71498-8. kindle ebook pg 125. He has also been referred as "the one who destroys lives" and "the corrupted smuggler".August, Oliver. [2007] (2007) Inside the Red Mansion: On the trail of China’s most wanted man. Houghton Mifflin company. ISBN 978-0-618-71498-8. kindle ebook pg 160.August, Oliver. [2007] (2007) Inside the Red Mansion: On the trail of China’s most wanted man. Houghton Mifflin company. ISBN 978-0-618-71498-8. kindle ebook pg 3.