How rich is Chinese President Xi Jinping
What's the story
A new United States intelligence report has said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his family hold assets worth over $1 billion.
The findings, released last Thursday, are detailed in the six-page unclassified Director of national intelligence (DNI) report, titled "Wealth and Corrupt Activities of the Leadership of the Chinese Communist Party."
The report was ordered by Congress under the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, but was delayed by intelligence agencies for unspecified reasons.
Corruption prevalence
Report highlights widespread corruption in China's ruling party
According to the report, about 65% of all government officials in China, receive unofficial income through bribery or graft.
This comes despite over a decade of anti-corruption drives that involved over five million Chinese Communist Party officials.
The report called corruption an "endemic feature of and challenge for China," and said a political system with highly centralized power in the hands of the CCP, and limited transparency contributed to it.
Campaign criticism
Xi's anti-corruption campaign questioned in the report
The report suggests that Xi's much-publicized 13-year campaign as president to eliminate corruption has failed.
It says anti-corruption drives are more concerned with enforcing political discipline and ideological purity than curbing rampant financial crime, which could threaten party control and lay bare its illegitimacy.
The document also says some officials and their families have become significantly wealthy due to their positions and connections within the party.
Wealth accumulation
Xi's family wealth linked to political connections
Further, the report singles out the families of two top leaders—former Premier Wen Jiabao and Xi himself—as having "amassed significant wealth."
Xi's siblings, nieces, and nephews "held assets worth over $1 billion in business investments and real estate," while Wen's family controlled at least $2.7 billion through various relatives.
However, it says specific investments by the leaders weren't directly linked to them.
Diplomatic implications
DNI report is the first official US disclosure
The DNI report is the first official US disclosure on the sensitive subject of Chinese leadership and CCP corruption.
It could potentially complicate President Donald Trump's efforts to establish diplomatic ties with Xi.
US-China ties have been strained on several fronts, including trade, Taiwan, and control of the South China Sea.
Trump stated last week that a meeting with Xi is in the works. However, Secretary of State Mark Rubio stated this week that no date had been scheduled.