U.S. ties Israeli billionaire with Chinese intelligence

Ha'aretz
The Admiralty complex is one of the trademarks of Hong Kong's urban landscape. ... One building there houses a group of companies nicknamed the 88 Queensway Group (the address of the building), which the U.S. administration suspects is nothing more than a cover for activity conducted by the People's Republic of China's foreign intelligence...

The suspicions were spelled out in a report recently compiled by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission... The report noted, among other things, that the group of Chinese corporations has business ties with Israeli businessman and diamond magnate Lev Leviev.

Using the group, Chinese intelligence acquires oil and energy companies and other important assets in countries in Africa, Latin American, Southeast Asia, as well as in the United States...

.......The third businessman mentioned in the American report is Lev Leviev, who was Gaydamak's partner and who according to the report continues to have a strong standing in Angola, where he has mines, diamond polishing plants and a diamond trade company.
.......According to the new American report, due to his standing in Angola Leviev came to know the Chinese companies and began to form business ties with them. These ties produced several huge deals involving the prestigious Manhattan real estate owned by Leviev and the companies owned by Africa Israel and Memorand. China Sonangol purchased the JP Morgan building on 23rd Street opposite the New York Stock Exchange for $150 million; for another $150 million it purchased 49 percent of the Met Life clock tower apartment building on Madison Avenue; and for about $400 million (including the purchase of the building's debts) acquired the old New York Times building, the jewel in the crown of Leviev's real estate empire.....

........"The lack of transparency and public accountability surrounding the 88 Queensway Group is a major concern for the United States," the report notes. "The 88 Queensway Group's purchase of high-profile real estate assets in the United States underscores the importance of identifying the extent of the group's connections to the Chinese intelligence community."  Full story