American venture capitalist held on prostitution suspicion as China cracks down on bloggers

BEIJING, China – Police have detained a Chinese-American billionaire on suspicion of visiting a prostitute as China cracks down on bloggers on its already heavily restricted Internet.

Police and state media say venture capitalist Charles Xue was detained Friday evening in a Beijing neighbourhood along with a woman.

He is a naturalized American citizen who has over 12 million followers on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo. He regularly reposts reform-minded content and comments on other issues including China’s air quality and food safety.

The People’s Daily on Monday reminded the country’s “big Vs” — popular bloggers whose social media profiles are verified as genuine — that they should “use their right to expression responsibly.”

Xue’s arrest follows a string in recent days of people who triggered scandals online.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.