Cheng Muyang
Cheng Muyang (Chinese: 程慕阳; born 14 November 1969),[1] also known as Michael Ching and Ching Mo-yeung, is a Chinese businessman and property developer based in Vancouver, Canada. He is the son of Cheng Weigao, a high-ranking Chinese politician who was implicated in a corruption scandal.
Biography
Michael Ching was born as Cheng Muyang on 14 November 1969, one of the three children and the only son of Cheng Weigao, who at the time was the head of a tractor factory in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. The elder Cheng was later promoted to Communist Party Chief of Nanjing, Deputy Party Chief of Henan Province, and eventually Governor and then Party Chief of Hebei Province. Ching attended Zhengzhou Industrial College in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan. He later acquired permanent residence in Hong Kong.[2]
Michael Ching allegedly benefited from the protection of his father during the elder Cheng's time in office to carry out business activities. The Chinese government accuses him of having taken illicit commissions from connecting two parties to a business deal using his father for political backing.[3] Cheng Weigao's two secretaries were detained for investigation. Michael Ching went into exile in 2000, shortly before the Hebei procuratorate issued his arrest warrant.[1][4]
After moving to Vancouver, Canada in July 2000, he founded a land development company called Mo Yeung International. According to the company's website, it "has developed over 11 million square feet of real estate projects in Canada, the United States and Asia".[3]
As of 2015, Michael Ching continued to face potential deportation from Canada due to the Chinese government launching an initiative to round up what it considers to be criminals who had escaped to foreign countries.[3] His application for Canadian citizenship and for refugee status has been rejected.[5] Ching denies all allegations and is suing the Canadian government for $1.75 million (CAD) for conspiring against him.[3]
References
- ^ a b "加方确认迈克尔·程即程慕阳 为落马高官程维高之子" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 5 May 2015.
- ^ "起底程慕阳：空手套白狼起家 曾与女演员相恋". Tencent. 13 May 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Mo Yeung (Michael) Ching, Vancouver developer, accused of embezzlement in China". CBC. 2 May 2015.
- ^ "河北前書記兒子 持港身份證潛逃加國". Apple Daily (Hong Kong). 22 April 2015.
- ^ "Chinese graft fugitive Cheng Muyang, now a Canada property mogul, seeks refugee status". South China Morning Post. 30 April 2015.