Pyramid scheme arrests: China says cases handled in accordance with law

China handles cases involving illegal or criminal activities by foreign nationals on Chinese soil in accordance with the law, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Friday (Sept 4).

He was responding to a question from Singapore state broadcaster CNA.

The Singapore reporter had asked for China's comments on the arrests and the specific charges faced by the 52 Singaporeans arrested in Guangxi for their alleged involvement in pyramid scheme activities.

She also asked for more details on the case such as when investigations began.

Guo said that China handles cases involving illegal or criminal activities by foreign nationals on Chinese soil in accordance with the law, adding that their lawful rights will be fully protected.

Asked if there has been coordination with Singaporean authorities and if other nationalities are involved, Guo referred the reporter to the "competent authorities".

In a statement on Friday, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Home Affairs Sim Ann said that the Singapore police have contacted their Chinese counterpart to seek more information.

Meanwhile, officials from the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided consular assistance to the 52 Singaporeans and their families.

"The Singapore Government does not intervene in foreign judicial systems, just as we expect foreign governments to respect our laws and legal process," the ministry stated.

A Singaporean who was invited on a partly sponsored trip to Guangxi in 2018 to learn about a "business opportunity" told AsiaOne that those interested had to pay a "membership fee" of $30,000 or $50,000 to join the group.

They would then receive three or five slots for each tiered pricing, the 47-year-old told AsiaOne during a recent interview.

The slots allow the person to recruit people, or 'downlines'.

For every direct or indirect downline who subscribes to the scheme, the recruiter earns a portion of their 'membership fee'.

"The math was that if you paid $50,000 and completed all your slots, you could earn over $1 million," he alleged.

But he found there was no real "product" sold.

中国外交部发言人郭家坤周五（9月4日）表示，中国依法处理外国公民在中国境内从事非法或犯罪活动的案件。

他是在回答新加坡国家广播公司亚洲新闻台（CNA）的提问。

这位新加坡记者曾要求中国就52名新加坡人在广西因涉嫌参与传销活动而被捕一事以及他们面临的具体指控发表评论。

她还要求提供更多案件细节，例如调查何时开始。

郭表示，中国依法处理外国公民在中国境内从事非法或犯罪活动的案件，并补充说，他们的合法权益将得到充分保障。

当被问及是否与新加坡当局进行过协调以及是否涉及其他国籍人士时，郭先生让记者去咨询“主管当局”。

新加坡外交部第二部长兼内政部第二部长沈颖周五发表声明称，新加坡警方已与中国警方联系，寻求更多信息。

与此同时，新加坡外交部官员已向这52名新加坡人及其家属提供了领事协助。

“新加坡政府不会干预外国司法系统，正如我们希望外国政府尊重我们的法律和法律程序一样，”该部声明道。

一位新加坡人于 2018 年受邀参加了一次由部分赞助的广西之旅，目的是了解一个“商机”。他告诉 AsiaOne，有兴趣加入该组织的人必须支付 3 万或 5 万美元的“会员费”。

这位 47 岁的男子在最近接受 AsiaOne 采访时表示，他们每个分级定价级别将获得三到五个名额。

这些插槽允许个人招募人员，即“下线”。

对于每个直接或间接加入该计划的下线，招募者都能获得其“会员费”的一部分。

他声称：“计算结果是，如果你支付 5 万美元并完成所有老虎机游戏，你就能赚到超过 100 万美元。”

但他发现并没有真正出售任何“产品”。