China's Great Catastrophe: Both Businesses and Foreign Investments Are Rapidly Fleeing

Little pinks calling for the expulsion of foreigners have succeeded. Both businesses and foreign investments are rapidly fleeing. China is becoming an economically isolated island. The dark secrets behind the Prince Group fraud empire. China's $100 billion overseas concentration camps, human trafficking and fraud exposed. Economic downturn pushes Chinese marriages into crisis for every three couples who marry one divorces. 98% of women regret getting divorced. Apex Summit. Secret agent quietly delivers medicine. Is Xi Jinping in poor health? Xi Jinping's house servant Fang Hongwei falls. Sun Xinyang bids tearful farewell to his fellow villager. You're watching Decoding China, where we bring you timely analysis and grounded perspectives on today's China. Little pinks calling for the expulsion of foreigners have succeeded. Both businesses and foreign investments are rapidly fleeing. China is becoming an economically isolated island. On November 4th, mainland Chinese media reported that the American tech company SAS will withdraw from China and lay off all 400 employees there, a move that has caused shockwaves. SAS's withdrawal is just one example in a wave of foreign companies pulling out of China in recent years. Meanwhile, public opinion on Chinese social media is divided. Some say, why should foreigners make money here? While others warn that this anti-foreign mindset only cuts off China's access to innovation and technology. While global corporations like NEC, Toshiba, Fuji and IBM have pivoted toward AI, autonomous vehicles, medical technology and quantum computing, many Chinese firms have remained stagnant. Hisense still makes TVs, Lenovo still produces computers and Baidu still relies on search engine advertising. Foreign companies such as Samsung, Amazon and Google have exited China but remain global leaders elsewhere. One blogger remarked, the world doesn't need China as much as China thinks. If it keeps rejecting foreign companies thinking isolation brings strength, it will lose both the market and the drive for innovation. The real enemy has never been outsiders, but the CCP's short-sightedness and fear. When private business owners quit and foreign companies pull out, it leads to two problems. First, when private bosses quit, it means many jobs disappear. Second, when foreign companies pull out, it means the high standards in the industry for the same job are gone. When job positions decrease, it means more people are competing for fewer positions and each position may end up with people stepping on each other. Your wages can only go down, not up. The impact of this trend is evident in the case of Celestica, a leading Canadian electronics manufacturer which announced the closure of its Dongguan facility on June 30th. The company once employed 10,000 workers and was considered a dream workplace for many Chinese IT professionals. After more than 20 years of operation, Celestica's departure left a large void in the region. A blogger commented, when foreign and private companies pull out, jobs disappear, industry standards collapse, and ordinary people pay the price. The situation is especially severe in Kunshan, once known as the world's laptop factory, producing 70% of global laptops. Before 2020, giants like Apple and Dell competed for assembly capacity and Taiwanese bosses counted money until their hands cramped. But in recent years, rents, wages, and material costs have surged, environmental inspections tightened, and many orders shifted to Vietnam, prompting companies like Foxconn, Compol, and Wistron to relocate. Once-bustling neighborhoods are now quiet and half-empty, local vendors report sharp declines in sales, and residents face growing unemployment. Analysts say the Chinese Communist Party not only lets companies leave, but also uses coercive measures to keep them under control, making it impossible for them to withdraw freely. In Foxconn's case, the company's ties with the party are said to be highly complex. Some senior executives were reportedly pressured or had their personal data compromised, making it difficult for Foxconn to escape Beijing's manipulation. In 2024, after initially planning to exit China, Foxconn was forced to reinvest under political pressure. But when the U.S.-China trade war reignited, the company again faced a strategic dilemma— to side with Washington or remain in China. Experts describe this as Beijing's control-and-containment strategy. Foreign corporations are pressured to stay to preserve the illusion of stability while the regime tightens control over capital and data as leverage in global negotiations. Yet this excessive interference has eroded investor confidence. As political and legal risks grow uncontrollable, Western companies are accelerating their withdrawal, while Taiwanese firms are shifting operations to Southeast Asia to avoid getting caught between the two powers. One commentator observed, The CCP doesn't truly want foreign capital to leave, but its authoritarian nature makes that inevitable. The more it tries to hold on, the faster it loses. When power overrides market principles, resources concentrate in the hands of a privileged few, while ordinary citizens bear the cost through unemployment and falling incomes. As the exodus continues, online dissent is spreading. Many netizens now openly state, Bloggers and analysts agree that the force that will ultimately topple the CCP will not come from outside. It will come from within its own system. As the world opens up, China continues to shut itself in, and with every foreign company that leaves, the Chinese economy loses another breath, while ordinary people are left to face a harsher reality. The dark secrets behind the Prince Group fraud empire, China's $100 billion overseas concentration camps, human trafficking, and fraud exposed. After the dismantling of the telecom fraud syndicate known as the Ming family in Northern Myanmar, a series of secret videos filmed inside their notorious base, Wohu Mountain Villa, have surfaced online, exposing the scale and brutality of one of the largest human trafficking and fraud compounds in Southeast Asia. Inside the villa, investigators found iron cages, water dungeons, and torture chambers. Some rooms even housed Bengal tigers and wild animals kept alongside human captives. Witnesses described terrifying roars echoing through the night, and large iron cages where victims were handcuffed, beaten, or starved. Chinese inscriptions scrawled on the walls appeared to be desperate messages from prisoners. On the ground lay bowls, chopsticks, and personal belongings, proof that people, not animals, were once held there. In another section, a small pit filled with water, known as the water dungeon, was used to imprison victims until they went insane or died. The leaked videos also show rows of computers and phones where workers were forced to run online scams day and night. One person can be seen limping, still wearing iron shackles on his feet. Administrative offices, game halls, and dormitories were abandoned and charred. Staircases were welded shut. Safes and documents lay scattered across the floor. Identity cards belonging to Chinese victims, including names, addresses, and phone numbers, were found everywhere. A Burmese vlogger who entered the site said those who met fraud performance quotas were spared, while those who failed were sold or tortured to death. Following the raid, the Myanmar authorities turned Wohu Mountain Villa into an anti-fraud education center under Beijing's direction. However, observers say this move was meant to conceal the fact that most detainees were actually victims deceived or kidnapped into forced labor. The masterminds and political patrons behind the operation remain unpunished. The vlogger also suggested that the root of the telecom fraud epidemic lies in the covert support of the Chinese regime itself. Around the same time, the U.S. government expanded its crackdown on transnational scam networks in Southeast Asia. On October 14th, the Prince Holding Group, based in Cambodia, and its chairman, Chen Ji, were indicted in New York for operating a massive international fraud empire disguised as real estate and investment ventures. Chen Ji was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and forced labor, and faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted. The U.S. Department of Justice seized nearly 130,000 bitcoins worth about $15 billion USD, while the U.K. government froze 19 properties owned by Chen Ji in London. According to court documents, Chen Ji began his career running small internet cafes in Fujian, China. He moved to Cambodia in 2009, founded a real estate company, and soon expanded into the gambling industry. Using his experience in online gaming, he combined lottery-style scams with gambling operations to create what became the Prince Group's telecom fraud division. During China's Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese capital poured into Cambodia, turning Sihanoukville into a Chinese casino city. By 2015, the Prince Group had become one of Cambodia's most powerful Chinese-owned conglomerates, with over 100 subsidiaries in 30 countries. Prosecutors said its compounds contained thousands of phones controlling tens of thousands of social media accounts used to target victims in China, Europe, and the United States. These fake profiles befriended victims online, built emotional trust, and then lured them into fraudulent investment schemes, draining their savings. The FBI later dismantled a Prince Group money-laundering cell in Brooklyn, confirming at least 259 American victims, with total losses of $18 million USD. U.S. authorities estimate that by 2024, Americans will lose over $10 billion USD to Southeast Asian scam networks, a 66% increase from the previous year, with Prince Group responsible for the largest share. Yet the indictment also revealed that the group's operations were shielded by senior officials inside China's Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of State Security. One Prince executive was recorded saying, every time there's a crackdown, we're fine. Internal records showed hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes, including luxury yachts and watches gifted to foreign officials. In 2020, Chen Jia even obtained a diplomatic passport, which he used to legally enter the United States in April 2023. After the case broke, a former Chinese police intelligence officer now exiled in Australia revealed that Prince Group had survived for years thanks to high-level protection from officials linked to former Vice Minister Sun Lijun. He claimed that Chinese security officials from Beijing and Chongqing were secretly hosted at Chen Ji's private club in Phnom Penh, with full hospitality provided throughout their visits. Meanwhile, public discourse inside China remained silent. Chinese courts reportedly classified Prince Group as a transnational online gambling syndicate as early as 2020, yet no action has been taken. Both Wohu Mountain Villa in Myanmar and the Prince Group's Cambodian compounds have now been destroyed, leaving only ruins. The empty iron cages and scorched walls stand as grim evidence of an empire of fraud once protected by political power, and of the inevitable downfall awaiting the dark forces behind it. Economic downturn pushes Chinese marriages into crisis. For every three couples who marry, one divorces, 98% of women regret getting divorced. In recent years, divorce rates in China have been steadily rising, revealing a growing social concern. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, up to 82.7% of divorce cases are initiated by women, and more than 98% of them later admit to regretting their decision. Many women initially believed they would find happiness with someone new, but after divorce, most end up facing loneliness, hardship, and the painful realization that the ones most hurt are their children. One woman shared, I thought I would be happier with someone else, so I chose divorce. But after seeing the video my son sent me, I deeply regretted it. I realized the children are the ones who suffer the most. She wanted to remarry to give her child a complete family, but her ex-husband refused. Like her, many women later come to understand that marriage is not something easily replaced. A survey of 5,000 divorced women shows that within a year after divorce, fewer than 2% found a partner better than their ex-husband, while more than 60% said their lives became harder. Their happiness levels dropped by 15 to 20%. Experts point to deep economic pressures, rising unemployment, pay cuts, debt from failed investments, and unstable income as the root cause behind the surge in divorces. At the same time, social media and so-called toxic wisdom have fueled the illusion that you'll meet someone better after divorce, leading many women to make impulsive decisions. In the first half of this year, more than 3.5 million couples registered for marriage, while 1.3 million registered for divorce. This means that for every three new marriages, one ends in separation. Statistics show that in families with debts exceeding 500,000 when, approximately $70,000 USD, the divorce rate triples. Economists now describe marriage as an economic battlefield, especially for the working class. A couple earning a combined monthly income of 14,000 yuan faces monthly expenses of over 10,000 yuan for child care, elderly support, housing, car loans, and daily living. Debt pressure has become suffocating for many families. To avoid financial risk, some couples resort to strategic divorces, legally separating but continuing to live together, as a way to shield themselves from debt or protect family assets. This phenomenon has quietly spread in major cities, particularly among people aged 40 to 50. After nominal divorces, these couples often share bank accounts and household duties, but remain legally separate. Sociologists describe it as a form of helpless wisdom, born from economic despair. Another major cause of marital breakdown is unequal financial responsibility toward extended families. Many wives continue to financially support their own parents or brothers even after marriage, straining their relationship with their husbands. This is especially common in rural areas, where such women are called Fumu Nu women, those who sacrifice their own happiness to support their brothers. One woman confessed, I divorced my husband to buy a house for my brother. I used half of my divorce settlement for it, but after the divorce, I had nowhere to go. When I went to live with my brother, my sister-in-law kicked me out, saying a divorced woman brings bad luck. Now I have nothing left. I gave up my family and my life for my brother, and this is my outcome. Another woman recounted how her mother pressured her to help buy a car for her younger brother. Her parents argued, if he has a car, it'll be convenient for you when you visit home. When she refused, her mother accused her of being heartless and brainwashed by her husband. She said, they wanted to buy a 200,000 yuan car, but only had 20,000, and they asked me to pay the rest. It was absurd. These financial and cultural pressures are pushing countless Chinese families to the brink. Even weddings are not spared from material obsession. One couple in love for six years saw their wedding collapse when the bride, influenced by her best friend, demanded a 28,000 yuan get-out-of-the-car fee on the wedding day. When the groom refused, he walked away, canceling the marriage on the spot. Such incidents reflect a growing truth in modern China. Marriage is no longer a sanctuary of love, but a financial struggle weighed down by debt, status, and social expectation. As the economy slows, household costs rise, and hope for the future dims, even the smallest conflicts can spiral into family collapse. Sociologists warn that the emotional foundation of marriage in China is eroding, not from infidelity, but from the crushing burden of financial reality. APEC Summit Secret agent quietly delivers medicine. Is Xi Jinping in poor health? During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to South Korea for the APEC Summit, a series of unusual incidents occurred, leaving leaders of democratic countries astonished and later becoming a topic of private discussions. South Korean media captured a peculiar scene. As soon as Xi took his seat, a bodyguard quickly approached and discreetly handed him three items. Many online users speculated that Xi was in poor health and that the items were actually medicine. Former journalist Fang Liusi posted a video on the X platform showing that at the conference held in Gyeongju, Xi had barely sat down when a Chinese man swiftly approached, placed a white thermos on the table, crouched down, took out a stack of tissues or papers from an inside pocket, and then retrieved something resembling an eyeglass case from his chest pocket. Throughout the process, the man appeared visibly tense, glancing around nervously as if afraid of being seen, creating a rather secretive impression. The post noted that the items were not kept in any official container, as would normally be expected. The first item was the thermos, possibly containing either tea or medicine, though many suspected the latter. The second might have been a small note card for Xi's speech, and the third appeared to be a pair of glasses. The video quickly spread across social media, sparking heated discussions. One user commented, Xi's bodyguard looks more like a secret agent. Look at his eyes. He seems to be doing something shady, afraid of being caught. Others mocked the situation, joking that the eyeglass case was a hidden weapon, the note card a paper grenade. And if all else failed, Xi could simply drink from the cup, which supposedly contained a deadly potion called Laugh and Go Mad Within Half a Step. Though clearly satirical, the comments reflected the public's curiosity and suspicion regarding Xi's health and his fear of assassination. Observers suggested that Xi's habit of carrying his own thermos and tissues likely stems from both health concerns needing to take medicine regularly and an extreme fear of being poisoned. This, they said, is a characteristic behavior of dictators who are perpetually wary of assassination or having their biological information collected. Earlier this year, during the September military parade in Beijing, when Kim Jong-un met with Vladimir Putin, North Korean agents were caught on camera entering the room immediately after the meeting to meticulously wipe down every object Kim had touched, even taking away his used teacup. Experts said the move was intended to erase all biological traces to prevent any leaks about Kim's health condition. According to Taiwan's UP Media, South African police confirmed that during the 2023 BRICS summit, Xi Jinping brought a delegation of over 500 people and booked two entire hotels. In the hotel room where he stayed, every item was removed and replaced with ones specially shipped from China, including cups, bowls, beds, mattresses, carpets, and even curtains, highlighting his extreme concern for personal safety. In recent years, persistent rumors have circulated about Xi's deteriorating health. Since 2019, various reports have claimed that he suffers from serious illnesses such as pancreatic cancer, cerebral aneurysm, and even a stroke, though none have been officially confirmed by Beijing. When Xi visited France in 2024, he was seen walking unsteadily. During a trilateral meeting, unlike other leaders who used clear glass cups, Xi used an opaque black thermos, and a translator standing behind him was seen with a wheelchair, further fueling speculation that the Chinese leader's health remains a closely guarded secret. Xi Jinping's house servant Fang Hongwei falls, Sun Xinyang bids tearful farewell to his fellow villager. China's political scene is once again in turmoil after the sudden arrest of Fang Hongwei, party secretary of Xi'an, while he was inspecting the city's Chang'an district. The dramatic incident has shocked observers, not only for the manner of his detention, but also for what it reveals about growing fractures inside Xi Jinping's inner circle. According to multiple sources, on November 5, Fang Hongwei was taken away on the spot by personnel from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, CCDI. The operation was personally directed by Sun Xinyang, deputy secretary of the CCDI and a fellow native of Xi Jinping's home province. Witnesses said Fang's face turned pale as he trembled uncontrollably and even lost bladder control, leaving everyone around him stunned. Fang's downfall had been widely expected after the fourth plenary session of the Central Committee skipped his name from the list of alternate members, a sign often preceding disciplinary investigation. Seen as a potential successor within the Shanxi faction loyal to Xi, Fang's arrest represents a major blow to the stability of Xi's power network. A native of Shanxi and fellow Tsinghua University alumnus, Fang had climbed rapidly through the provincial hierarchy, from heading Shanxi Automobile Group to holding key leadership posts in Huainan and Hanjiang. Many viewed him as a rising political star with ties to Xi's inner circle. Yet despite being qualified for ministerial rank, he was abruptly removed from the Central Committee's promotion list. The network that linked these men traces back to Xi's half-brother, Xi Zhengning, the elder son of Xi Zhongxun and his first wife. Xi Zhengning played a role in building Xi Jinping's Shanxi power base through his work in the provincial organization department before dying suddenly of heart disease in 1998 at the age of 57, an event that locals in Fuping County later described as a fateful omen for the Xi family. Among those once mentored by Xi Zhengning was Sun Xinyang, the current deputy secretary of the CCDI. Considered a pure-blooded red cadre, Sun worked in Huainan and Jiangxi before being brought to Beijing. During the 20th Party Congress, Xi elevated him to a pivotal oversight position inside the party's own disciplinary apparatus, a move analysts have called planting an insider within his self-supervision system to ensure that Xi remains untouchable. After securing his third term, Xi Jinping further consolidated his political symbolism at home in Shanxi. He built the Xi Zhongxun Memorial Hall in his native Fuping County, treating it as a sacred feng shui base for his family's political legacy. However, on May 24, 2025, under mounting online criticism, Xi suddenly renamed the site the Guangzhong Revolutionary Memorial Hall, a gesture interpreted as an attempt to downplay personal worship and shift political responsibility toward collective leadership. Yet Xi's obsession with feng shui and dragon veins, mystical sources of imperial power in Chinese tradition, has not subsided. In classical cosmology, every dynasty possessed its own dragon vein. The Qin in Xianyang, the Han in Pei County, the Tang in Longxi, and the Qing in the northeast around Mount Changbai. Some Chinese scholars have argued that since the communist takeover in 1949, the regime has been cut off from the dragon vein, a metaphor for its inevitable decline. Seeking to restore divine legitimacy, Xi reportedly traveled to the Qinling Mountains in 2020 to stabilize the vein before securing his third term. Critics, however, mockingly note that the CCP's so-called dragon vein is nothing more than the demonic spirit of Marxism, utterly incompatible with China's ancient cosmology. State-sponsored writers even went so far as to claim that Karl Marx was Chinese, attempting to graft a mythical dragon vein onto him, a move that has drawn ridicule both inside and outside China. Meanwhile, cracks within the regime continue to widen. According to the Global Service Center for Quitting the CCP, more than 410,000 people renounced their membership in the party and its youth organizations between September and October 2025, bringing the total number of three withdrawals to over 450 million worldwide. The movement gained renewed momentum after the mysterious death of actor Yu Menglong, which many believe was linked to elite corruption inside the party. The fall of Feng Hongwei has therefore become more than a personal scandal. It stands as a stark symbol of decay within the Zhongnanhai power structure. Those once regarded as the roots and veins of Xi Jinping's political empire are collapsing one by one. In an atmosphere of mounting uncertainty, observers warn that the regime's moment of reckoning could arrive at any time.