--- description: The New York-based businessman has made accusations of corruption against top Chinese officials, including corruption czar Wang Qishan. title: Outspoken Chinese Billionaire Seeks U.S. Asylum image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt914bb746b16ee83a/6988dcc886f68e03f46e6514/ap_17242393203923.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [China](/tag/china/) ## China Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Outspoken Chinese Billionaire Guo Wengui is Seeking Asylum in the U.S. by [Kevin Lui](/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 7, 2017 8:43 AM CUT  This Aug. 30, 2017, photo shows the Twitter profile of businessman Guo Wengui on a computer screen in Beijing. This Aug. 30, 2017, photo shows the Twitter profile of businessman Guo Wengui on a computer screen in Beijing.Andy Wong—AP by [Kevin Lui](/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 7, 2017 8:43 AM CUT A New York-based billionaire businessman who has made accusations of corruption against top Chinese officials has [applied](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/world/asia/china-guo-wengui-corruption-asylum.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fasia "undefined") for political asylum in the U.S. Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Kwok, is currently on a tourist visa that expires this year, reports the New York _Times_. The real estate tycoon is seeking protection as his public tirades against the upper echelons of Beijing society has turned him into “a political opponent of the Chinese regime,” his lawyer Thomas Ragaland told the _Times_. His application for asylum precedes a key congress of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, [scheduled](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-congress/china-sets-mid-october-date-for-key-communist-party-congress-idUSKCN1BB163 "undefined") for October. Last month, Chinese authorities said they were investigating Guo over an allegation of rape. The Chinese government [has requested](https://www.apnews.com/9a4b4be3f0fb4e7191a53b9368318513/AP-Exclusive:-China-accuses-outspoken-tycoon-in-US-of-rape "undefined") an Interpol arrest notice for the billionaire. In recent months, Guo has unleashed a social media campaign, disclosing on Twitter and YouTube what he said is classified information about the crossover of family wealth and political power among Party elites, to Chinese authorities’ chagrin. One of his frequent targets is [Wang Qishan](http://time.com/collection-post/4742836/wang-qishan/ "undefined"), the country’s top corruption czar, whom Guo alleges to be involved in corrupt business dealings. [According](http://time.com/4922917/guo-wengui-rape-china/ "undefined") to the Associated Press, Guo is being investigating in China for at least 19 crimes, include bribing a top Chinese intelligence official, kidnapping, fraud and money laundering. He is also being sued for defamation in U.S. courts by several Chinese companies and individuals. \[[_NYT_](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/world/asia/china-guo-wengui-corruption-asylum.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fasia "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4930960/guo-wengui-china-us-politcal-asylum/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4930960/guo-wengui-china-us-politcal-asylum/"},"headline":"Outspoken Chinese Billionaire Guo Wengui is Seeking Asylum in the U.S.","datePublished":"2017-09-07T08:43:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T17:19:00.803Z","description":"Guo Wengui has accused some of China's most powerful officials of corruption","url":"https://time.com/4930960/guo-wengui-china-us-politcal-asylum/","keywords":["China","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt914bb746b16ee83a/6988dcc886f68e03f46e6514/ap_17242393203923.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kevin Lui","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/kevin-lui/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt914bb746b16ee83a/6988dcc886f68e03f46e6514/ap_17242393203923.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"China US Wanted Businessman","caption":"China US Wanted Businessman","creditText":"Andy Wong—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/china/","name":"China"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4930960/guo-wengui-china-us-politcal-asylum/","name":"Outspoken Chinese Billionaire Guo Wengui is Seeking Asylum in the U.S."}}]}] ```