Chinese Tycoon Pan Shiyi’s speech at a private gathering has surfaced on the internet, where he appears to discuss for the first time the incident involving his friend Ren Zhiqiang. At the time, Ren Zhiqiang sent a critical letter to 11 people, including Pan Shiyi, that led to the arrest of multiple individuals, with Pan Shiyi managing to escape unscathed in the United States.
On September 27th, a video from the gathering was shared online, showing Pan Shiyi standing and sharing with the attendees.
He said, “In September 2020, I arrived in New York with a return ticket already purchased, planning to stay here and celebrate the New Year before heading back. Then, one of my friends got into trouble. This friend has a close relationship with me. I greatly admire him. We interact daily on Weibo like a singing duo. He wrote a letter, which he sent to 11 people, with me being the first. Several others got arrested, but as I was in the United States… (seemingly interrupting the recording) Ah, please don’t (record).”
At that moment, someone present said, “Stop recording.”
Explosive! Pan Shiyi spoke for the first time at a private gathering about the impact of Ren Zhiqiang’s arrest on him and why he has remained in the United States, revealing significant information. The person who recorded the video has inadvertently put Pan Shiyi in a difficult position, indicating he may never return to China.
Pan Shiyi did not explicitly name the friend who got into trouble, but based on his speech, it is believed he was referring to Ren Zhiqiang, a prominent Chinese real estate magnate and “Red Second Generation.”
Ren Zhiqiang, also known as “Ren Big Cannon,” was sentenced to 18 years in prison on September 22, 2020, by the Beijing Second Intermediate People’s Court on charges of corruption, bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power within state-owned companies. It is widely believed that Ren Zhiqiang was actually convicted “for his words.”
In early March 2020, Ren Zhiqiang criticized the Chinese government for covering up the truth regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, indirectly targeting the Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, mocking him as “the clown who insists on being emperor even when stripped bare.”
Shortly after the article circulated online, Ren Zhiqiang went missing, reportedly taken away on March 12. Friends of Ren confirmed his disappearance.
Born in 1963 in P’an-chi-tsai village, T’ien-shui, Gansu Province, Pan Shiyi co-founded SOHO China with his wife Zhang Xin in 1995. On October 8, 2007, SOHO China successfully went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company developed iconic office buildings in Beijing and Shanghai. Blackstone Group planned to acquire SOHO China, but the deal was blocked by the Chinese authorities. In August 2021, the authorities initiated an antitrust investigation. Later, SOHO China announced the termination of the transaction with Blackstone Group.
In 2022, Pan Shiyi and his wife stepped down from executive roles but retained director positions. Reports indicated that the couple had settled in New York, USA.
In October last year, Bloomberg reported that Chinese real estate tycoon Zhang Xin was expanding her investment portfolio to the New York real estate market. Reportedly, assets managed by Zhang Xin’s family office in real estate exceeded $5 billion, covering property holdings, operations, and development in cities like Boston and New York.
On April 6 this year, Pan Shiyi posted an article titled “My Fate is in My Own Hands and Also in Heaven” on his personal WeChat public account. This marked his first public statement in three years, reflecting on his life experiences and sharing thoughts on life, work, and relationships.
Account Hidden City on X shared the aforementioned video of Pan Shiyi’s speech, highlighting its significance in discussing Ren Zhiqiang’s arrest and why he has chosen to stay in the US, implying he might never return to China.
Hidden City emphasized that they were reposting, with the original video coming from Zhang Dongwei’s Weibo, which has been censored.
Netizen comments: “If this video isn’t recorded, there’s no way to go back.”
“Everyone knows why Ren was arrested. By saying these things now, he clearly has no intention of returning.”
“Pan Shiyi spoke freely in front of so many people without fear. The comments section is in shock. What difference does it make if the video goes public? Everything Pan Shiyi said is true. Ren Zhiqiang has already been sentenced to 18 years. Why can’t he speak about it?”