Sun Guangxin
Sun Guangxin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962 (age 61–62) Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China |
| Alma mater | Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Tianjin University |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Organization | All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce |
| Title | Founder of Xinjiang Guanghui Industry Investment Group |
| Political party | Chinese Communist Party |
| Children | 3 |
| Notes | |
Sun Guangxin (Chinese: 孙广信; born 1962) is a Chinese businessman.
Early life
[edit]Sun was born in 1962 in Xinjiang, China, with his ancestral home in Pingdu, Shandong.[2] He received a Master of Arts from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and an EMBA from Tianjin University.[3] He joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and retired as a captain in 1989.[1]
Career
[edit]In 1989, Sun founded Xinjiang Guanghui Industry Investment Group under the name Ürümqi Guanghui Industry and Trade Company.[1] Initially, Sun opened a restaurant that served fresh seafood imported daily from the coast. Historian James A. Millward says that sources vary as to where he got the funds for his business.[4] Not only was fresh seafood a novelty in Ürümqi, it was favored by government and business elites. Sun began making extensive connections in government, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and oil and banking industry executives. He opened a series of entertainment venues in Ürümqi, including the city's first bowling alley, discothèque, karaoke bar, and swimming pool. As his business interests grew, Sun employed many former army officers in key positions.[4] During the collapse of the Soviet Union, the company began importing oil and gas drilling equipment from Russia and selling it to state-owned enterprises in China.[5]
In 1993, Sun was investigated for bribery.[1]
Working closely with the state, Sun's company grew into a conglomerate with interests on natural gas, real estate and auto distribution.[1] China Grand Auto, which is controlled by Guanghui Group, became the largest auto dealer in China.[3] According to Sun, "Guanghui functions like a great state-owned enterprise."[1]
Texas property controversy
[edit]In 2021, Sun's plan to build solar and wind farms on a 140,000-acre ranch in Val Verde County, Texas were stopped when the Texas Legislature passed a law, the Lone Star Infrastructure Act, preventing it from connecting to the grid due to national security concerns.[5][6][7] Concerns were raised that equipment installed on the solar and wind farms could be used for signals intelligence and electronic warfare on Laughlin Air Force Base.[5][8] Despite the law, Sun declared his intention to lease the land, held by subsidiaries of Guanghui (GH America Energy and Brazos Highland Properties),[9] to other companies to build and operate solar panels.[5] Local ranchers sued Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in 2023 to halt the project.[10] Sun's company filed a lawsuit against ERCOT in 2024 to advance the project.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Pomfret, John (29 September 2002). "Chinese Capitalists Gain New Legitimacy". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Sun Guangxin". Forbes. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ^ a b Millward, James A. (2021). Eurasian Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang, Revised and Updated. Columbia University Press. p. 331. ISBN 978-0-231-20454-5. JSTOR 10.7312/mill20454. OCLC 1246672834.
- ^ a b c d Hyatt, John (9 August 2021). "Why A Secretive Chinese Billionaire Bought 140,000 Acres Of Land In Texas". Forbes. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ Avila, Jaie (27 May 2021). "Texas stops Chinese billionaire from building wind farm". WOAI-TV. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ Schmidt, Blake (21 February 2023). "China Billionaire Spurs Texas Backlash Over Rural Land Purchases". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ Detsch, Jack; Gramer, Robbie (25 June 2020). "Deep in the Heart of Texas, a Chinese Wind Farm Raises Eyebrows". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ "Secret Acres: Foreign-owned agricultural land inaccurately tracked by government". InvestigateTV. Gray Television. 24 January 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ Buckley, Kyra; Drane, Amanda (6 May 2023). "West Texas ranchers sue ERCOT over wind farm connected to Chinese billionaire". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Hyatt, John (9 July 2024). "Chinese Billionaire Claims Texas Law Is Unconstitutional". Forbes. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Peterson, Kristina; Fan, Wenxin; Gillum, Jack (31 October 2024). "The Election-Year Fight Over What Counts as Chinese-Owned U.S. Farmland". The Wall Street Journal.