Prince Group, Chen Zhi: Chen Xiao'er, also known as Wu An Ming - Sanctioned by U.S. Treasury
Chen Xiao'er (陈小二) (also known by his birth name Hu Xiaowei (胡小伟) and other aliases including Wu An Ming and Hu Shi) is a Chinese businessman and an alleged key figure in the Cambodian-based "Prince Group Transnational Criminal Organization," which has been linked to extensive cyber-scam operations, human trafficking, and money laundering. He was born in 1982 in China and is reportedly considered the "second in command" under the group's chairman, Chen Zhi. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Chen Xiao'er in October 2025 for his partnership in a company called Grand Legend International Asset Management Co., Ltd (大传奇国际资产管理有限公司), which was developing a luxury resort in Palau with Chen Zhi.
Investigative reporting by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that he uses multiple identities and holds citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis. He changed the name on his passport from Chen Xiao'er to Wu An Ming by 2020. Under the name Wu An Ming, he holds approximately $45 million worth of property in the UK and a vast global investment portfolio. He also owns other sanctioned real estate companies under the name Hu Shi. See his mansion near Holland Park in London.
Chen Xiao'er's assistant has stated that he is fighting the sanctions, claiming they were wrongly imposed and that his only business relationship with Chen Zhi was related to the Palau resort project. He claims to have no further business cooperation with the Prince Group.
LTN News in Taiwan reports, that Hu Xiaowei visited Taiwan multiple times and has has close ties with the Chinese People's Liberation Army and that he once used a technology company in China to set up a private server to illegally operate the online game "Legend of Mir". "According to Chinese law enforcement, Hu Xiaowei's involvement in illegal money laundering cases in 2016 mainly involved using unauthorized and illegally set-up game servers for money laundering. On the surface, these were game companies, but in reality, they were used for money laundering or as a cover for fraud. Moreover, they were often linked to gambling websites, cryptocurrency dealers, and virtual points trading, and their methods of fraud and money laundering were exactly the same as those of the Prince Group."
Teo Kang Yeow Cliff, a Singaporean man who previously managed some of the Prince Group companies, alleged that Hu Xiaowei held a position of significance to Chen Zhi according to OCCRP.
OCCRP reports that he was arrested in China in 2016 on charges of running an online gambling operation worth about $850 million, according to state media reports. By September 2017 Hu Xiaowei was in the U.S. where he was a director and shareholder in a medical investments company called New World Technology II Inc.
In 2017, Cypriot records show, Hu Xiaowei applied for a passport under the European Union country’s citizenship-by-investment program. He was using Hu Shi as the name in his Cypriot passport. Also in 2018, Hu Xiaowei acquired citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis under the name Chen Xiao’er. By 2020, he had changed the name in that passport to Wu An Ming. By January, 2020, Hu Xiaowei had also become a Cambodian citizen under his birth name. Two years later, Cambodia appointed him an advisor “with a rank equivalent to minister” to Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, according to OCCRP.
Corporate records show his business relationship with Chen Zhi stretches back to at least 2015 when they were both shareholders of Zhongjing Technology Investment Co Ltd., according to Chinese corporate records. He is listed in that company under his birth name, Hu Xiaowei. Under the name Hu Shi, he was also listed as the 100-percent shareholder of Alphaconnect Investment Pte Ltd., and Alphaconect Investment Pte II Ltd. Those two Singaporean companies were among the 146 targets sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury as part of the Prince Group according to OCCRP.However, corporate records show their business relationship stretches back to at least 2015 when they were both shareholders of Zhongjing Technology Investment Co Ltd., according to Chinese corporate records. He is listed in that company under his birth name, Hu Xiaowei. Those two Singaporean companies were among the 146 targets sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury as part of the Prince Group. Both companies were shareholders in Taiwanese firms that purchased apartments in Taipei’s Peace Palace tower block in 2019.
Hu Shi listed his residential address in corporate records at a $15-million coastal villa in Hong Kong. Land records show that he owns this villa under his Saint Kitts and Nevis identity.
In Teddington, a suburb of London, he owns Udney Park playing fields according to Teddington Nub News. Corporate records show that he set up a company, Leisure Focus, in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) under and used it to buy former university sports ground, Udney Park playing fields, for £3.5million from Quantum.
In Chen Xiaoer has been appointed as an executive Director, the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer HKE Holdings Limited (Incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability), as Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited reproted in 2019. They wrote: "Mr. Chen invests and operates real estate development, financial leasing and medical equipment businesses in China and the United States. Mr. Chen holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Information Science and Technology." Chen Xiao’er signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 75% stake in HKE Holdings Limited (SEHK:1726) from Skylight Illumination Limited for approximately HKD 290 million on July 15, 2019. Under the agreement, Chen Xiao’er will acquire 600 million shares at HKD 0.48 per share. In a related transaction, Chen Xiao’er made an offer to acquire the remaining 25% stake in HKE Holdings Limited for HKD 96 million on July 17, 2019.
Investigative reporting by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that he uses multiple identities and holds citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis. He changed the name on his passport from Chen Xiao'er to Wu An Ming by 2020. Under the name Wu An Ming, he holds approximately $45 million worth of property in the UK and a vast global investment portfolio. He also owns other sanctioned real estate companies under the name Hu Shi. See his mansion near Holland Park in London.
Chen Xiao'er's assistant has stated that he is fighting the sanctions, claiming they were wrongly imposed and that his only business relationship with Chen Zhi was related to the Palau resort project. He claims to have no further business cooperation with the Prince Group.
LTN News in Taiwan reports, that Hu Xiaowei visited Taiwan multiple times and has has close ties with the Chinese People's Liberation Army and that he once used a technology company in China to set up a private server to illegally operate the online game "Legend of Mir". "According to Chinese law enforcement, Hu Xiaowei's involvement in illegal money laundering cases in 2016 mainly involved using unauthorized and illegally set-up game servers for money laundering. On the surface, these were game companies, but in reality, they were used for money laundering or as a cover for fraud. Moreover, they were often linked to gambling websites, cryptocurrency dealers, and virtual points trading, and their methods of fraud and money laundering were exactly the same as those of the Prince Group."
Teo Kang Yeow Cliff, a Singaporean man who previously managed some of the Prince Group companies, alleged that Hu Xiaowei held a position of significance to Chen Zhi according to OCCRP.
OCCRP reports that he was arrested in China in 2016 on charges of running an online gambling operation worth about $850 million, according to state media reports. By September 2017 Hu Xiaowei was in the U.S. where he was a director and shareholder in a medical investments company called New World Technology II Inc.
In 2017, Cypriot records show, Hu Xiaowei applied for a passport under the European Union country’s citizenship-by-investment program. He was using Hu Shi as the name in his Cypriot passport. Also in 2018, Hu Xiaowei acquired citizenship from Saint Kitts and Nevis under the name Chen Xiao’er. By 2020, he had changed the name in that passport to Wu An Ming. By January, 2020, Hu Xiaowei had also become a Cambodian citizen under his birth name. Two years later, Cambodia appointed him an advisor “with a rank equivalent to minister” to Heng Samrin, president of the National Assembly, according to OCCRP.
Corporate records show his business relationship with Chen Zhi stretches back to at least 2015 when they were both shareholders of Zhongjing Technology Investment Co Ltd., according to Chinese corporate records. He is listed in that company under his birth name, Hu Xiaowei. Under the name Hu Shi, he was also listed as the 100-percent shareholder of Alphaconnect Investment Pte Ltd., and Alphaconect Investment Pte II Ltd. Those two Singaporean companies were among the 146 targets sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury as part of the Prince Group according to OCCRP.However, corporate records show their business relationship stretches back to at least 2015 when they were both shareholders of Zhongjing Technology Investment Co Ltd., according to Chinese corporate records. He is listed in that company under his birth name, Hu Xiaowei. Those two Singaporean companies were among the 146 targets sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury as part of the Prince Group. Both companies were shareholders in Taiwanese firms that purchased apartments in Taipei’s Peace Palace tower block in 2019.
Hu Shi listed his residential address in corporate records at a $15-million coastal villa in Hong Kong. Land records show that he owns this villa under his Saint Kitts and Nevis identity.
In Teddington, a suburb of London, he owns Udney Park playing fields according to Teddington Nub News. Corporate records show that he set up a company, Leisure Focus, in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) under and used it to buy former university sports ground, Udney Park playing fields, for £3.5million from Quantum.
In Chen Xiaoer has been appointed as an executive Director, the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer HKE Holdings Limited (Incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability), as Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited reproted in 2019. They wrote: "Mr. Chen invests and operates real estate development, financial leasing and medical equipment businesses in China and the United States. Mr. Chen holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Information Science and Technology." Chen Xiao’er signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 75% stake in HKE Holdings Limited (SEHK:1726) from Skylight Illumination Limited for approximately HKD 290 million on July 15, 2019. Under the agreement, Chen Xiao’er will acquire 600 million shares at HKD 0.48 per share. In a related transaction, Chen Xiao’er made an offer to acquire the remaining 25% stake in HKE Holdings Limited for HKD 96 million on July 17, 2019.
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