An individual previously dismissed as a minor figure in U.S. sanctions against a sprawling Cambodian business network has emerged as a key player with at least four separate identities, according to newly uncovered evidence.
The man, known publicly as “Chen Xiao’er” when the U.S. Treasury Department targeted him in October, was listed as a partner in a single company with Chen Zhi, the founder of the Prince Group. But investigators have now identified three additional aliases he has used, none of which appeared in the sanctions notice.
Records show this individual operated under the names Hu Shi and his birth name, Hu Xiaowei, alongside the previously reported alias Wu An Ming. Under Hu Xiaowei, he is reportedly under investigation in Taiwan, where prosecutors have allegedly described him as the “second in command” beneath the group’s chairman.
A former manager of Prince Group companies, Teo Kang Yeow Cliff, told investigators that Hu Xiaowei held a position of deep significance. “Hu Xiaowei is the person who brought Chen Zhi into the business, online gaming,” Teo said. “He’s a ‘big brother,’ that’s what Chen always said. He always treated him with utmost respect.”
The U.S., U.K., and South Korea have all imposed sanctions on the Prince Group, accusing it of running forced-labor compounds in Cambodia where victims were coerced into cyber scams generating billions in losses. The conglomerate has denied the allegations, calling them baseless.
Hu Xiaowei’s history includes accusations in China of leading a criminal hacking group in 2011, which allegedly siphoned over $10 million from an online video game. He reportedly fled China but was arrested in 2016 on charges of running an $850 million illegal gambling operation. By 2017, he had acquired citizenship in Cyprus through an investment program, later obtaining citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis under the name Chen Xiao’er. He also became a Cambodian citizen in 2020, and within two years was appointed an advisor to a top Cambodian official.
Corporate records reveal his business ties with Chen Zhi date back to at least 2015, when both were shareholders in a Chinese technology firm. Under the alias Hu Shi, he was the sole shareholder of two Singaporean companies that were among 146 entities targeted by U.S. sanctions as part of the Prince Group. These firms invested in Taiwanese real estate projects, later transferred to Chen Zhi’s control.
Despite the U.S. sanctions listing him only as a minor figure linked to a Palau resort development, the newly uncovered holdings demonstrate his involvement in the group’s broader real estate operations. A former colleague described him as a polished figure: “He’s well groomed, tall, well mannered, speaks fluently in Chinese,” Teo noted.
Hu Xiaowei did not respond to requests for comment, and his assistant declined to address questions about his multiple identities. The full extent of his role within the Prince Group continues to emerge.