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Interpol Chief, Detained by China, Resigns Under 'Supervision' of Party Watchdog
In a stunning move that could set back the country's efforts to expand its global presence, the Chinese Communist Party announced late Sunday that the missing president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei, was under investigation on "suspicion of violating the law" and was "under the supervision" of an anticorruption watchdog tied to the party. The announcement that Mr. Meng, a Chinese national, was being detained was posted online by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's watchdog against graft and political disloyalty, on Sunday night. A few hours later, Interpol said it had received Mr. Meng's resignation "with immediate effect."
[...] While China may have had its eye on placing its citizens in other top posts at prominent global organizations, "the fact that Meng was 'disappeared' without any notice to Interpol will undermine this Chinese global outreach effort," Mr. Ku said. "It is hard to imagine another international organization feeling comfortable placing a Chinese national in charge without feeling nervous that this might happen."
The announcement of Mr. Meng's detention came hours after his wife, Grace, told reporters in Lyon, France, that before her husband had vanished on a trip to China, he had sent her a phone message with an emoji of a knife. She interpreted the knife image to mean "he is in danger," she said in a brief statement to reporters on Sunday in Lyon, where the two were living and where Interpol is headquartered. Ms. Meng gave her statement at a hotel, keeping her back to reporters so that her face would not be captured on camera, a precaution that she said was for security reasons for herself and her children. She said she had received the message with the knife image shortly after Mr. Meng arrived in China. It came just four minutes after she received a message from him saying, "Wait for my call," she said. She has not heard from him since. She reported his disappearance to the French police on Oct. 4. A French police investigation is now underway, with the authorities saying that he had boarded a plane and arrived in China, but that his subsequent whereabouts was unknown.
In addition to serving as president of the international crime fighting body, Mr. Meng is also a vice minister in the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.
Also at Bloomberg and The Washington Post.
(Score: 4, Informative) by takyon on Monday October 08 2018, @04:47AM (6 children)
5 days ago: China's "Missing" Actress Fan Bingbing Back in Beijing After Secret Detention [hollywoodreporter.com]
Anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping [wikipedia.org]
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(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 08 2018, @09:29AM (3 children)
At least we know where Fan Bingbing is. $99 million in taxes and penalties. $180 million in total. That is how you slap down a rich celebrity.
How much do you have in your bank account? Give it to me.
Considering that her net worth is $100million they are bleeding her dry then demanding more. To meet that demand she would need to sell everything.
I suppose having a former multimillionaire kicked to the street homeless unable to pay rent will send a message5 to everyone else.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 08 2018, @11:48AM
She had plenty of money for not having to work too hard, but it still wasn't enough that she had to not pay her taxes. Hard to feel much sympathy for her and people like her.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 08 2018, @07:01PM (1 child)
"Leave before they can do it to you too"? Or is getting a one-way ticket to a non-extradition country on the list of things they don't like
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 08 2018, @09:55PM
Their first act, which was noticed and reported on was to issue an order preventing her from leaving the country.
The second, which was also noticed, was to place her "under control".
It's amazing what a person will do after a visit to room 101. Give up their fortune without a fight or lawyers for example.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 08 2018, @06:09PM (1 child)
What happens if it actually works, will other governments follow?
I read a paper the last century or so that explained China had too much corruption to ascend to a world power. Maybe they found a way to address this...
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday October 08 2018, @06:25PM
The purge has been a very harmonious move. Weakening political enemies and rooting out corruption both help Xi Jinping maintain power, since the public doesn't like corruption.
I'm not sure that it is sustainable in a system where one (Xi Jinping) or a few people (before Xi Jinping consolidated power) control the government. All it takes is one lousy, corrupt successor or group to mess things up. But the idea that China needs to fight corruption, smog, poverty, and other problems in order to maintain one party/person rule is not hard to grasp. If times are good, or at least stable, people will accept the status quo. Jinping can get that much across to a successor. Jinping or one of his successors could also make an attempt at achieving "literal" "immortality" (anti-aging). As good of a use for China's science budget as any.
Maybe the U.S. does not have the potential to root out corruption as effectively as China could. We have a revolving door of politicians, business leaders, etc. We have lobbying as an institution. We have re-election campaigns every 2 years. The system demands corruption, and gets it.
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