The HK$4 Billion Heist

Seen this postage stamp? It was recently stolen and worth a lot of money...

The coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong has resulted in a surge in burglaries, believe it or not. The police have recorded 1,156 cases in the first six months of this year, up 47.1 percent, compared to 786 cases in the same period last year.

But last week has to be the biggest robbery case in the city by far if it is confirmed, and it did not involve giant sparkling diamonds or expensive watches, but old postage stamps. And calligraphy that happened to be penned by Mao Zedong himself.

One item stolen was a calligraphy written by Mao Zedong

Last Thursday apparently three men broke into the apartment of a well known collector of revolutionary stamps and art in Yau Ma Tei, and allegedly stole HK$4 billion worth of items.

These include a two-metre tall poem written in calligraphy by Mao that collector Fu Chunxiao claimed was worth HK$2 billion, and a postage stamp that has the words, "The whole country is red".

Fu is not in Hong Kong but on the mainland, and it seems the thieves knew what they were taking.

"I was dealt a huge blow and feel so sad," he said by phone. "The lost items are invaluable indeed, but I cannot tell in detail what they are right now, as my mind is racing."

Apparently Fu is well known in certain circles, a member of the Hong Kong Philatelic Society and in 2018 even organized an exhibition of Mao stamps in the city, featuring more than 200 items from his own collection.

Fu Chunxiao is a collector of revolutionary stamps and art

He also seems to be very connected.

"I appreciate the help of the Hong Kong government and police, the Beijing liaison office, and the national security office, which were all involved in the case," he added, without explaining which national security office he meant, or how precisely it was involved.

The robbery came to light when a building security guard noticed the iron gate and the wooden door of the flat open.

Will the items ever be recovered? And who committed this crime?! And was it purely because these items were valuable or was there a political motive?!

Surely the police are on the case...

Jack's a Party Member

Jack Ma is a card-carrying member of the Chinese Communist Party

Well what do you know! Jack Ma Yun is a Communist Party member!

He was outed yesterday in the People's Daily as one of 100 Chinese people who have made extraordinary contributions to the country's development in the past 40 years.

Ma along with Tencent Holdings CEO Pony Ma, Baidu CEO Robin Li, basketball star Yao Ming and volleyball coach Lang Ping were on the list.

Pony Ma of Tencent is on the 100 list, but not a Party member

It is unclear when Ma joined the party and how much money in dues he pays each year.

Interestingly this made huge headlines today, but one should expect that someone as successful as Ma is to have some kind of affiliation with the Party. How else could he succeed?

But he has said before that it's not a good idea to be too close to the Party. In media interviews he would say, "Fall in love with the government, but don't get married."

However, with President Xi Jinping wanting to have greater control over everything, everyone else has to comply, and Ma seems to be one of them.

"We're seeing an increasingly close relationship between China's leading internet companies and government because government sees them as one of the most effective ways to realize its policy initiatives," says Mark Natkin, managing director of Beijing-based Marbridge Consulting.

Xi Jinping visits the cave in Yan'an he spent during his teens

"Being a party member is essentially tipping your hat to the legitimacy of the party and it doesn't necessarily denote any particularly high level of political activity."

Nevertheless, some entrepreneurs are going a step further to demonstrate their loyalty to the Party.

In 2015 Jack Ma visited Yan'an, the city often considered the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Revolution. Pony Ma -- who is not a Party member -- also went to Yan'an this year and even wore a Red Army uniform. Yan'an is also where President Xi spent much of his teenage years.

Ah the symbolism! And the song and dance people need to do to keep in the government's good books...