China Warns ‘Powerful Forces’ Behind Panama Papers
BEIJING (AFP) - Hostile Western forces are behind the "Panama Papers”, a state-run Chinese newspaper alleged Tuesday, as media avoided reporting revelations about Communist leaders and it emerged that the law firm involved has eight offices in the country.
The scandal erupted on Sunday when media groups began revealing the results of a year-long investigation into a trove of 11.5 million documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which specializes in creating offshore shell companies.
At least eight current or former members of China’s Politburo Standing Committee, the ruling party’s most powerful body, have been implicated, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which co-ordinated the reports.
Mossack Fonseca has offices in eight Chinese cities including Hong Kong, its website showed Tuesday, more than any other country.
Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has launched a much-publicized anti-corruption drive but has not instituted systemic reforms such as public declarations of assets.
Among those named in the Panama Papers are close associates of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Xi’s brother-in-law, who was previously identified in a New York Times investigation into the wealth accumulated by Xi’s family.
Chinese media have largely avoided reporting on the leaks and social media have been scrubbed of references to them, with foreign news broadcasters such as the BBC blacked out when they report on the issue.
The scandal erupted on Sunday when media groups began revealing the results of a year-long investigation into a trove of 11.5 million documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which specializes in creating offshore shell companies.
At least eight current or former members of China’s Politburo Standing Committee, the ruling party’s most powerful body, have been implicated, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which co-ordinated the reports.
Mossack Fonseca has offices in eight Chinese cities including Hong Kong, its website showed Tuesday, more than any other country.
Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has launched a much-publicized anti-corruption drive but has not instituted systemic reforms such as public declarations of assets.
Among those named in the Panama Papers are close associates of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and President Xi’s brother-in-law, who was previously identified in a New York Times investigation into the wealth accumulated by Xi’s family.
Chinese media have largely avoided reporting on the leaks and social media have been scrubbed of references to them, with foreign news broadcasters such as the BBC blacked out when they report on the issue.