Secret celebrity romances are usually things that are uncovered by unscrupulous paparazzi photographers, violating the privacy of the rich and famous. However, the reveal of China’s hottest celebrity romance comes straight from the source itself – which, in this day and age, is a personal Weibo account.

Weibo users were first clued in to the romance between 50 year-old Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and 31 year-old Chinese-Canadian singer Qu Wanting at beginning of January, but they made it official with a post sent by Robertson on Valentine’s Day:

Once again, this isn’t a private message, but a post sent to all of Robertson’s followers. While it may be a strange way to make it official, it makes sense for Robertson to announce his relationship to Qu on the Weibo micro-blogging service because he’s been mentioning Qu on his Weibo account for years.

The two were photographed together after a performance in February 2014, and another post has Robertson in full support of Qu becoming the tourism ambassador for Vancouver in November 2013 when he explained “Because SHE ROCKS!!!”

Robertson is having quite a year so far. He separated from his wife of 30 years last July, won himself a third term as the mayor of Vancouver, Canada back in November, and now has a new love in his life.

His public announcement of his relationship with Qu has resulted in a flurry of responses online. The most common is that he looks far younger than his 50 years:

佳爺万万岁：

There doesn’t seem to be an age difference of 19 years between [Robertson and Qu]… maintaining your health is very important.

STRONGKBB:

This old geezer is 50?!?! What a shock！

Sashaxu：

He doesn’t seem like he’s 50 years-old.

tearfulrobby：

Well maintained!

The coming together of East and West can have many implications, but the apparent one for netizens when it comes to cross-cultural relationships is the difference of beauty standards:

freshairr：

Her (meal)ticket doesn’t seem at all to be 50 years old, while she seems to be at least 40, oh my garters.

gemma凖：

Indeed, (her) face is suitable for a laowai (implying that Qu is not beautiful by Chinese standards).

Zippo227：

Foreigners like ugly women.

小婷婷luck：

Qu Wanting is (more) suitable for a foreigner because which Chinese would be able to put up with her?

尔本o：

Westerners aren’t willing to directly face the Chinese beauty standard.

A happy couple in love turns out to be the appropriate time to criticize their appearance.

罗滴嘎嘎：

Canadians are the most disgusting people. (I) pity that beautiful woman.

樱桃子2013：

At first I thought the woman had the worst end of the deal. The man is already 50 years old and is so much older than her. But then, after opening the photo, I felt that the man had the worst end of the deal…

But then some people were all too happy to wish the couple well:

男精零101：

I’m envious. 

徐威gg：

The very much have the appearance of a husband and wife.

Some netizens have come to certain conclusions about Vancouver and China’s northeast:

FrancisMartinCA：

After this, there will be more Chinese people going to Vancouver.

孫雪甛：

Speechless! 30 years of marriage is being substituted by a 31 year-old woman! I am fully in awe of China’s Dongbei (northeast)

While others see this relationship as having certain political overtones to it:

梦境_先知：

How are US mayors in any way more powerful than Chinese mayors, or any richer? That’s crazy!

肥皂是赵智君：

Why do I get the feeling that this is just propaganda material, and the mayor is just a fan?

jiatian琪：

Is this one technique with which China can conquer the world?

We’ll just have to see what comes next on Robertson’s Weibo account.

The post Vancouver Mayor Reveals Chinese Girlfriend on Weibo to Frenzied Response appeared first on The Nanfang.

Vancouver city officials and police have declined to comment on “Operation Fox Hunt”, which was originally described by Xinhua as a Chinese crackdown on officials suspected of corruption who have fled overseas. Canada is apparently the top choice for corrupt officials, followed by the USA and Australia. While none have extradition treaties with China, Canada signed a deal last year to share assets and information related to corruption.

The presence of Chinese police officers in Canada comes as details emerge of an enormous amount of money that has been invested into real estate by wayward officials. The Province, a newspaper in Vancouver, said millions of dollars have been siphoned out of China and invested into Vancouver real estate. Local addresses in the city have also been linked to a variety of shell companies associated with mainland China connections.

Canadian real estate agents are also keeping their lips sealed. One person quoted by The Province said, “There is huge money laundering coming into Vancouver, but I don’t know who would tell you on the record, because that would be slitting their own throats.”

David Mulroney, ambassador to China from 2009 to 2012 and a former senior adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, argues that Canada should be doing more to combat the problems posed by corrupt officials taking shelter in Canada. “The U.S. and Canada are key targets for (Operation Fox Hunt) investigators. Both places are popular with corrupt officials because both are highly desirable locations in which to house family members and educate children, and neither has an extradition treaty with China,” he has written.

Kirk Kuester, executive managing director of Colliers International Vancouver, said the amount invested into real estate by corrupt officials is “staggering.”

“Some of these groups want to buy the biggest sites in the city and do developments that are comparable to projects in China, but would be on the upper end of anything ever done here,” he said.

Colliers’ Spark Report says the global outflow of Chinese capital hit a record of $18 billion in 2014, and the amount flowing to Canada – specifically Vancouver – is rising.

Previous cases of high-profile fugitives caught and returned to China from Canada include Lai Changxing, an alleged smuggling kingpin who was brought back to China in 2011, and Li Dongzhe, who surrendered himself in 2012 after hiding out in North Vancouver for six years.

The post Chinese Police On the Ground in Canada Looking for Corrupt Officials appeared first on The Nanfang.

Flaunting your wealth will now be easier than ever for Chinese immigrants. A reality television show tentatively titled HBICtv: Ultra Rich Asian Girls is currently seeking participants that are, presumably, ultra-rich, Asian, and are girls.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, the proposed show features a demo video with Mandarin-speaking women who bicker among themselves as they buy stuff and complain while doing it, reports WSJ Chinese Real-Time.

Producer Kevin Li told the WSJ that Vancouver’s changing demographics were his inspiration after noticing the influx of wealthy immigrants from mainland China lay down roots in the west coast city. Li said, “There aren’t many positive Asian representations in the media. I have a chance to put a different perspective.”

Li hopes to keep the focus of this show on Chinese women in order to attract a market in both Canada and China, two locales that presumably don’t have enough flaunting of wealth nor positive depictions of Asians.

It may be strange to see an ultra-rich reality show participant drinking pink champagne straight from the grip of the bottle in the demo, but that must be a force of habit, we presume.

Photos: screenshots via Youtube

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China Southern Airlines (CSA) international flights are set to increase this summer after the company announced its new schedule for the upcoming season. Japan is the main beneficiary, as the Guangzhou-based carrier will double its Baiyun Airport flights to Osaka to fourteen a week.

Amsterdam will receive an extra two flights per week, bringing its total to seven per week from June 13. And, as reported a few weeks ago, London will receive three direct flights a week from Guangzhou, beginning June 2, just in time for the Olympics. Overall, the new schedule brings the number of European destinations served by Guangzhou to twenty-eight flights a week.

In North America, Vancouver will be served by five flights a week, up on the existing three slated to take-off from Baiyun Airport from June 23. Travelers will also benefit from a new relationship with WestJet, enabling CSA passengers to transit and fly onwards to Toronto, Montreal and another twenty-nine Canadian cities.

In other news, the worst of the political instability in the Maldives is over, according to CSA, which paves the way for twice-weekly flights from Guangzhou to resume to the capital, Male, from April 22.

With CSA’s announcements of new routes and increased frequencies, its international capacity will increase to 27.2 per cent, and that figure is set to increase to 30 per cent by year end, according to Life of Guangzhou.

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