Brother of disgraced Chinese presidential aide Ling Jihua is sharing golf secrets in US – not state secrets: lawyer
Breaking a long silence, a politically connected Chinese businessman living in the United States has denied through his lawyer that he handed over Chinese state secrets, including launch codes for nuclear weapons, to American authorities.
Ling Wancheng, brother of disgraced former presidential aide Ling Jihua, was the subject of media reports last week asserting that he had been debriefed by US officials and provided nuclear secrets as well as personal information about Chinese leaders.
However his US lawyer said his client, an avid golfer, “came to the US to share golf secrets, not state secrets”.
READ MORE: Telling tales: brother of disgraced Chinese presidential aide Ling Jihua defects to US and reveals state secrets, says report
Ling Wancheng’s case has generated intense interest in both China and the US because of the access his brother, Ling Jihua, once had to the inner workings of China’s Communist Party leadership while aide to former president Hu Jintao.
[Ling Wancheng] came to the US to share golf secrets, not state secrets
Gregory Smith, a Washington lawyer and former associate White House counsel to President Bill Clinton, told Reuters he had been retained by Ling Wancheng.
He said that Ling Wancheng was in the US, but declined to say whether his client had applied for asylum and whether he was talking to US authorities.
Ling Wancheng had not previously issued any statements or confirmed that he remained in the US or was represented by counsel.
Smith said Ling Wancheng was upset by the recent allegations. They had appeared in the Washington Free Beacon and later in reports in Britain’s Financial Times .
