Two years after their detention, five Chinese staff members working for the American investigations firm, the Mintz Group, have now been released by Chinese authorities, according to an official update.
A statement released by the company on Tuesday confirmed that the five workers, all Chinese nationals, are no longer in custody.
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The company also expressed appreciation to the authorities in China, saying they are thankful their former employees are now able to return to their families.
This release happened at a time when Beijing is putting more effort into drawing back international investment, hoping to improve an economy that has been growing slowly. Business leaders from overseas, including Apple’s Tim Cook and Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon, arrived in China this week for a development forum.
Investment from abroad, which dropped during the pandemic, has remained weak due to lower consumer demand and declining sales in China’s market.
Several top executives were expected to have a private meeting with China’s president, Xi Jinping, by Friday, according to someone familiar with the planning who chose not to be named.
This would mark the third such gathering between Mr. Xi and heads of multinational firms in less than two years, following similar meetings in Beijing and another in San Francisco after a diplomatic event with President Biden in late 2023.
The business event also drew attendance from Senator Steve Daines of Montana. He told The New York Times that his visit was to help make progress toward a possible future meeting between President Trump and President Xi.
Details Behind the Mintz Case
Back in March 2023, Chinese officials raided the Beijing office of the Mintz Group and detained several employees, whose names were never shared publicly.
Later that same year, the company was hit with a fine of about $1.5 million for doing statistical research related to foreign clients without getting official permission. This was reported by Chinese state media.
The Mintz Group, which is headquartered in New York and operates across many countries, focuses on gathering information for business clients before deals are made. Their work includes financial checks, tracing of company assets, and investigations into fraud or corruption.
However, the Chinese government under Xi Jinping has started to treat such business investigations as threats. The leadership appears to be uncomfortable with firms looking too closely into supply chains or the inner workings of Chinese companies, viewing those efforts as a danger to national interests and political control.
Just one month after the Mintz office raid, Chinese authorities also showed up at the Shanghai office of Bain & Company, a U.S. consulting firm, and spoke with staff members there.
This tightening of control over foreign consulting firms has also been seen as China’s response to recent moves by the United States to limit high-end technology exports, including items like advanced computer chips.
