Aug. 13 (UPI) — A fugitive Chinese billionaire who has previously met with U.S. President Donald Trump’s former senior counselor Steve Bannon said internal weakness in the Chinese Communist Party raises concerns about its long-term stability.
Guo Wengui, who lives in New York and has pledged to expose political corruption in China, said he has privately met with Chinese Communist Party officials who voice doubts about the future, Taiwan’s Liberty Times reported Monday.
Guo, who made his fortune in Chinese real estate before fleeing the country, said one “senior member” is skeptical the annual Beidaihe summit will take place next year, citing political upheaval and internal party divisions, according to the report.
The meeting at Beidaihe holds symbolic importance for the Communist Party. It involves former and incumbent Chinese officials of the highest rank, and takes place in late July or early August each year. The meeting takes place in a resort area about 170 miles east of Beijing.
According to Guo, the Chinese government source said multiple crises are facing the world’s second-largest economy, including the protests in Hong Kong, China’s economic downturn and fiscal deficit, potential revolt in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as growing popular opposition toward Internet censorship.
Guo did not reveal the identity of his source, who had recently attended this year’s Beidaihe meeting. He said his source “made history” at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party, held in November 2012. The Chinese billionaire added his description should make it easy to identify his source, and said the “important point, where the Chinese Communist Party is destroying itself, has already begun,” according to Liberty Times.
Guo left China after August 2014, when Chinese authorities began to investigate him for corruption. He has claimed he is the victim of false accusations and government graft.
Guo’s statements to the Taiwanese press come at a time when violent footage of the police crackdown against protesters in Hong Kong continues to be uploaded to social media.
The BBC’s Stephen McDonell tweeted Sunday Hong Kong police mercilessly beat local protesters, and included footage from Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, showing the violence taking place at a subway station in the city.
