Cambodia has sent another individual linked to the Prince Group—a Phnom Penh-based conglomerate accused of running forced-labor cyber-scam centers—to China.
Chinese state media reported that Li Xiong arrived in Beijing on April 1 after being arrested in Cambodia through joint law enforcement efforts between the two countries. He is the second executive from the group to be extradited this year, following Chairman Chen Zhi, who was sent to China in January.
Officials in Beijing labeled Li Xiong a “core backbone member” of the Prince Group’s criminal operations. He faces charges including running illegal casinos, fraud, and handling proceeds of crime, according to reports citing China’s Ministry of Public Security. These allegations have not been proven in court.
The Prince Group has faced international scrutiny beyond China. The United States, South Korea, and the United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on the conglomerate. The UK recently froze several London properties tied to the group.
Li Xiong also serves as chairman of Huione Group, which Chinese authorities say is a subsidiary of the Prince Group. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Huione Group in October, accusing it of laundering billions of dollars from crimes like “pig butchering” cyber-scams allegedly carried out by the Prince Group. However, the Treasury did not directly connect the two entities.
Corporate records in Cambodia confirm Li Xiong’s role in Huione Group companies. They also reveal that Hun To, a cousin of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, held shares in Huione Pay Plc alongside Li Xiong. A company spokesperson told Reuters in 2024 that Hun To’s position did not involve day-to-day management. Lawyers for Hun To did not respond to requests for comment.
Huione Group did not answer questions about the extradition, and Cambodia’s Cabinet Office also did not respond.
Li Xiong’s business interests in Cambodia include Proteva Insurance PLC and two real estate firms: Cocosili Investment Co Ltd and Huione Education Co Ltd. Like other China-born Prince Group figures, Li Xiong obtained Cambodian citizenship, according to government records.
The Prince Group has denied all allegations, calling them “baseless” and part of an effort to justify asset seizures worth billions of dollars.