The recent release of photographs by the National Archives has reignited controversy surrounding President Biden’s past interactions with his son Hunter Biden’s business associates, particularly those linked to the Chinese government. These photos, released just days before Biden’s scheduled departure from office, depict then-Vice President Biden meeting with Jonathan Li and Ming Xue, two individuals associated with the Chinese government-linked investment firm BHR Partners. The timing of the release, significantly after their potential impact on previous political events like the House impeachment inquiry into alleged Biden family corruption, raises questions about the deliberate delay in their disclosure. The photos add fuel to allegations that President Biden has been less than truthful about his involvement with his family’s foreign business dealings.
The controversy surrounding BHR Partners further intensifies with the revelation of a previously overlooked encounter between then-Vice President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the same 2013 trip to Beijing. Photos show Biden introducing his son to Xi, an interaction Hunter Biden described in an email as “pretty amazing,” noting the extended time the two leaders spent together. The timing of this meeting, coinciding with the launch of BHR Partners and Xi’s ambitious “Belt and Road” initiative, raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest. BHR Partners, co-founded by Hunter Biden shortly after this trip, subsequently played a significant role in Chinese foreign acquisitions, including the purchase of a Congolese cobalt mine crucial for electric vehicle batteries.
The newly revealed photographs also show then-Vice President Biden shaking hands with Jonathan Li, the incoming CEO of BHR Partners, and greeting Ming Xue, a managing director at the firm. This direct interaction contradicts President Biden’s previous denials of involvement with his son’s business partners. Further complicating matters are reports that Biden later wrote college recommendation letters for Li’s children and participated in a speakerphone conversation with Li during a subsequent trip Hunter Biden made to Beijing. These actions suggest a closer relationship between the Biden family and BHR Partners than previously acknowledged, raising questions about potential influence peddling.
Beyond the BHR Partners connections, the released photos do not address alleged interactions between Joe Biden and associates of his son and brother, James Biden, from another Chinese state-linked company, CEFC China Energy. Testimony from former Biden family associate Rob Walker alleges that Biden attended a 2017 lunch with CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming shortly before a substantial sum of money was transferred to a consortium of Biden family associates. This payment was allegedly a thank-you for preliminary work conducted while Biden was still vice president, raising further concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the influence of foreign entities on the Biden family’s business dealings.
Adding to the complexity of the situation are emails and testimony from other Biden family associates, suggesting a financial arrangement involving Joe Biden in the CEFC venture. A May 2017 email from James Gilliar, a Biden family associate, mentions a 10% cut for the “big guy,” allegedly referring to Joe Biden. Further testimony from Tony Bobulinski, another former associate, claims he spoke with Joe Biden about the CEFC venture. These allegations, coupled with a subsequent $5.1 million payment to entities linked to Hunter and James Biden, raise serious questions about Joe Biden’s direct involvement in and potential financial benefit from his family’s foreign business dealings.
President Biden’s repeated denials of interacting with his son and brother’s business partners stand in stark contrast to the mounting evidence, including witness testimony and the recently released photographs. These denials, made during his re-election campaign and in response to public opinion polls expressing concern over his family’s business dealings, have been challenged by Republicans who accuse him of misleading the public. The controversy also extends to Biden’s policy decisions regarding China, with critics suggesting his family’s financial ties may have influenced his approach to sensitive issues such as fentanyl exports, espionage, and the origins of COVID-19. The ongoing revelations continue to raise concerns about transparency, potential conflicts of interest, and the influence of foreign entities on the highest levels of American government.
