The group said on Friday that Chinese authorities had arrested five Chinese employees at the Beijing office of US auditing firm Mintz Group.
The company said in a statement to Agence France-Presse that “the Chinese authorities arrested five employees of the Beijing office of the Mintz Group, all of whom are of Chinese nationality, and closed our operations there.”
The company asserts that it “has not received any official notification of the legal proceedings” against it, and has “asked the authorities to release its employees.”
She says she called on lawyers to “dialogue with the authorities and help their employees and their families.”
“We have always acted transparently, ethically, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations” in China, the company said, adding that it will work with authorities to “resolve any misunderstandings that may have led to these events.”
Chains on the doors
On Friday, AFP journalists found its Beijing headquarters empty, its doors barred with chains.
Police offices in the area declined to respond to AFP. The Chinese Foreign Ministry informed him that it was not aware of this information.
The Mintz Group, based in New York, is a firm that specializes in investigating allegations of fraud, corruption, and misconduct in the workplace, as well as conducting background checks.
It has 18 offices in total, including in Washington. The Mintz Group states on its website that its employees “deeply delve into the questions that matter most to our clients – from the presidential palace to the offshore oil platform.”
In 2017, the group’s Asia director, Randall Phillips, felt that the United States should address the problems of structural imbalances caused by Chinese policies and penalizing trade.
Afterwards, the Mintz Group’s webpage was shown, titled “China Must Face Consequences,” with quotes from Mr. Phillips. It appears to have been removed, though archived versions remain available online.
Former CIA
According to US government documents also available online, Randall Phillips testified prior to the release of the US Congressional Committee report in 2018 that focused on Chinese attempts to expand its influence abroad.
On the Mintz Group website, Mr. Phillips is described as a former CIA employee where he worked for 28 years, “most recently as the CIA’s chief representative in China.”
The arrests come at a time when relations between the United States and China are at their lowest point in decades, as the world’s two largest powers clash over everything from trade to human rights.
Tensions rose further in February when Washington shot down a suspected spy balloon, which Beijing keeps calling a weather device.
