Guo Wengui again leveled charges Thursday of high-level corruption in China's ruling elite and claimed proof of Chinese espionage in the U.S.
Guo, the Chinese dissident billionaire facing criminal charges in China and seeking asylum in the U.S., spoke at a news conference in Washington where he distributed a document that he said shows a spy network placed in companies owned by the Chinese government that are doing business in the U.S.
Guo said that the Communist Chinese government has pressured U.S. interests, including the media, to prevent him from speaking out. The document, which Guo says he obtained through intermediaries from Chinese intelligence files, was impossible to verify.
His claims came a day after the Hudson Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, postponed a scheduled appearance by Guo. The billionaire said he had planned to unveil three other documents at the Hudson Institute to show Americans how the Chinese government penetrates American society through espionage.
Guo said he that he has since burned the documents and added that Hudson's decision to postpone his appearance was due to pressure from the Chinese government.
A spokesman for the Hudson Institute called Guo's claim "preposterous."
VOA interview
During the press conference, Guo claimed that an interview with him conducted by VOA's Mandarin service in April was cut short due to interference from the Chinese government. VOA Director Amanda Bennett said Guo's charges are baseless.
"Pressure from the Chinese government played no role in any decision-making," Bennett said.
The Hudson Institute is led by Kenneth Weinstein, who also serves as chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees VOA.