News Analysis
A Chinese-born Canadian tycoon with reported links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) elites was recently on trial in Shanghai after five years of forced disappearance. China observers say the situation indicates a power struggle among political rivals within the CCP system.
Xiao Jianhua, 55, appeared in a Shanghai court on July 4. The Canadian billionaire faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison for illegal fundraising and a fine, according to Chinese laws and regulations.
However, Chinese state media outlets did not specify the trial’s location and his lawyers’ names. Nor were Canadian diplomats allowed to attend the hearing despite repeated requests, according to a Canadian government statement….