In a new development that fuels the ongoing controversy surrounding Hunter Biden's business dealings, a conservative legal group, America First Legal, has released photos appearing to show then–Vice President Joe Biden meeting his son Hunter's Chinese business associates during a 2013 trip across Asia. These photos, revealed after litigation for access to Obama administration records, could corroborate claims that Hunter leveraged his father’s political influence for private gain.
Photos and Key Figures
The images show Joe Biden alongside Hunter's business partners Jonathan Li and Ming Xue, executives at BHR Capital, a private equity firm in which Hunter Biden held a financial stake beginning in 2014. Another photo purportedly captures Joe Biden introducing Hunter to Chinese President Xi Jinping and then–Vice President Li Yuanchao during a stop in Beijing.
According to the House GOP's impeachment inquiry report, the meetings were arranged by Hunter Biden, highlighting an alleged connection between the then–vice president’s official duties and his son's business interests. “Mr. Li sought — and received — access to Vice President Biden’s political power,” the report notes, citing preferential treatment Li received from then–U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus.
America First Legal's Statement
Michael Ding, counsel for America First Legal, commented on the significance of the photos, saying, “More evidence comes out each day showing how [the Biden family] leveraged Joe Biden’s even longer career in public office for private gain.”
The group obtained the photos after prolonged litigation, as Biden and former President Barack Obama’s legal teams delayed their release until after the recent election. Originally scheduled for October, the photos were unveiled on December 1.
Hunter Biden’s Financial Connections
Hunter Biden, who traveled to China on Air Force Two during the 2013 trip, has acknowledged introducing his father to Li but insisted they were not yet in business together at the time. However, records show that Hunter and Devon Archer, a former business partner, joined the BHR board in 2014. Hunter eventually stepped down in 2019 during Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
Emails and testimony indicate that Joe Biden later wrote college recommendation letters for Li’s children. In 2019, Li wired $250,000 to Hunter Biden, listing Joe Biden’s Delaware home as the beneficiary address. Hunter testified the payment was a loan and that he eventually sold his equity stake in BHR.
Pardon Sparks Debate
On December 1, Joe Biden issued a broad pardon to Hunter, covering all potential crimes from January 2014 onward, just before Hunter’s sentencing for federal gun and tax charges. Critics argue that the timing raises questions about the extent of Joe Biden's knowledge of or involvement in his son’s business dealings.
White House Denials and GOP Investigation
The White House has repeatedly denied allegations of Joe Biden’s involvement in Hunter’s business ventures. The president’s team dismisses the GOP-led impeachment inquiry as politically motivated. Meanwhile, Republican investigators claim they have uncovered $27 million in payments from foreign sources to Hunter and his associates from 2014 to 2019.
