Cheng Muyang (Chinese: 程慕阳; born 14 November 1969),[1] also known as Michael Ching and Ching Mo-yeung, is a Chinese businessman and property developer based in Vancouver, Canada. His father, Cheng Weigao, is a high-ranking Chinese politician.

Cheng Muyang
程慕阳
Born14 November 1969
NationalityChinese
Other namesMichael Ching, Ching Mo-yeung
Occupation(s)Businessman and property developer

In 1996, he was granted permanent residency in Canada, and he has applied for refugee status to flee political persecution from the Chinese government.

Biography edit

Cheng Muyang was born on November 14, 1969, as one of three children and the only son of Cheng Weigao, who at the time was the head of a tractor factory in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. The elder Cheng was known for his role as the Communist Party Secretary of Hebei province between 1993 and 1998.[citation needed] Ching attended Zhengzhou Industrial College in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan. He later acquired permanent residence in Hong Kong,[2] and in 1996, he was granted permanent residency in Canada.[3]

Michael Ching was accused by the Chinese government of having taken illicit commissions for a business deal using his father for political backing.[4] Michael Ching moved to Canada in 2000, shortly before the Hebei procuratorate issued his arrest warrant.[1][5] In 2006, the Chinese Central Commission for Discipline Inspection concluded that there was no evidence for criminal punishment of Cheng Weigao.[6]

After moving to Vancouver, Canada in July 2000, he founded a land development company called Mo Yeung International.[4] In 2002, he founded Sunwins which is a real estate development company in Vancouver.[7] In 2012, Michael Ching received the Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal.[8] In 2013, Michael Ching's application for Canadian citizenship was rejected, and as of 2015, his bid for refugee status was denied.[4][9] Ching denied all allegations and sued the Canadian government for $1.75 million (CAD) for conspiring against him.[4]

In July 2015, a Canadian federal judge ordered that Ching’s bid for refugee status be reconsidered.[3] According to the judge, Justice Yvan Roy, the refugee panel that denied Ching’s application relied too heavily on Chinese court findings that had little or no evidence of illegal activity.[3][10]

As of September 2016, Interpol no longer listed Ching as an international fugitive and deleted its "red notice" for him.[11][12] Ching has filed legal action against the South China Morning Post and its reporter in the British Columbia Supreme Court for defamation and false statements.[9][12] After 15 years fighting, In Dec 2020,Michael Ching received his Canadian citizenship.

Residency edit

In 1996, he was granted permanent residency in Canada. He has applied for refugee status as protection from political persecution after being considered a fugitive of law by the Chinese government along with his father, Cheng Weigao, a high-ranking Chinese politician.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "加方确认迈克尔·程即程慕阳 为落马高官程维高之子" (in Chinese). Xinhua. 5 May 2015. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "起底程慕阳:空手套白狼起家 曾与女演员相恋". Tencent. 13 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "Michael Ching Mo Yeung, wanted by China, wins Canadian court bid to have refugee case reheard". South China Morning Post. 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  4. ^ a b c d "Mo Yeung (Michael) Ching, Vancouver developer, accused of embezzlement in China". CBC. 2 May 2015.
  5. ^ "河北前書記兒子 持港身份證潛逃加國". Apple Daily (Hong Kong). 22 April 2015.
  6. ^ "中纪委:目前尚无证据表明程维高应负刑事责任-搜狐新闻". news.sohu.com. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  7. ^ "About Us". Sunwins. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  8. ^ General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor. "Michael Mo Yeung Ching". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  9. ^ a b "Chinese graft fugitive Cheng Muyang, now a Canada property mogul, seeks refugee status". South China Morning Post. 30 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Embattled Vancouver developer claims legal win in bid to stay in Canada". The Globe and Mail. 15 May 2018.
  11. ^ "B.C. rights group questions Justin Trudeau's plan for extradition deal with China". Vancouver Sun. 22 September 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Canada's immigration department retracts depiction of fugitive Ching Mo Yeung as criminal and fraudster". South China Morning Post. 8 May 2015.