Former Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs Patrick Ho Chi-ping pleaded not guilty last month to corruption charges brought by a U.S. federal court in New York after he was accused of offering bribes worth a total of U.S.$2.9 million to prominent African leaders and ministers.
The allegations of Chinese bribery in Africa highlight the sharp contrast with how corruption is dealt with severely at home under President Xi Jinping’s high-profile anti-corruption crackdown and the more relaxed view Beijing seemingly has regarding overseas financial misdeeds. China, like the U.S., does have anti-foreign bribery laws on its books but they are rarely enforced, according to some experts.
CNN International journalist Jenni Marsh has been covering the Patrick Ho story from Hong Kong, where interest in the case is especially high. Marsh joins Eric and Cobus to discuss why Ho’s alleged crimes may represent a much bigger trend within the China-Africa relationship.
Recommendations
- “How a Hong Kong Millionaire’s Bribery Case Exposes China’s Corruption Problem in Africa,” Jenni Marsh, CNN, February 10, 2018
- “Former Hong Kong Home Secretary Patrick Ho Denied Bail in US Bribery Case, Labelled Flight Risk,” Robert Delaney, South China Morning Post, February 5, 2018