Lai Changxing

Who is Lai Changxing?

Lai Changxing began as a Chinese businessman and entrepreneur from Jinjiang, Fujian, People's Republic of China. He was the founder and Chairman of the lucrative Yuanhua Group, based in the Special Economic Zone of Xiamen. At his height he has been credited with converting China from communism to capitalism and bringing the country into the World Trade Organization. He imported foreign products like cars, cigarettes and was responsible for one-sixth of the national oil imports at one time. In the late 1990s he was implicated in corruption scandals involving a large smuggling ring. By 1999 he was described by several media organizations as "China's most wanted fugitive" and was arrested.

Lai evaded Chinese authorities and went to Canada, where he resided in Vancouver. After a lengthy extradition battle and diplomatic negotiations Canadian authorities deported him to China on July 22, 2011 upon promises that he would not be executed. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.