Charles Xue

Xue was born in Guangdong Province in 1953. His father, Xue Zizheng, was the vice minister of the United Front Work Department.[http://www.apdnews.com/news/32871.html 中国微博大V薛蛮子涉嫖被刑拘] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830050142/http://www.apdnews.com/news/32871.html |date=2013-08-30 }}，Asia Pacific daily, 26 August 2013.{{Cite web |url=http://zdb.pedaily.cn/people/%E8%96%9B%E8%9B%AE%E5%AD%90/ |script-title=zh:薛蛮子 |access-date=2013-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830090501/http://zdb.pedaily.cn/people/%E8%96%9B%E8%9B%AE%E5%AD%90/ |archive-date=2013-08-30 |url-status=dead }}[http://news.stnn.cc/china/201308/t20130825_1927476.html 北京警方：薛蛮子因涉嫌嫖娼被抓获] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829014431/http://news.stnn.cc/china/201308/t20130825_1927476.html |date=August 29, 2013 }} During his childhood, Xue lived in Toufa Hutong, Beijing. In 1966 when Xue was thirteen years old, the Cultural Revolution was launched by Mao Zedong, during which his father Xue Zizheng was isolated and jailed.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

Two years later, Xue went to Urad Front Banner to work as a Sent-down youth in the Down to the Countryside Movement.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

In 1976, Xue worked at Wenwu Publisher as an editor, and started to learn English from Xiao Qian, Shen Congwen and Li Jianwu. He translated the White House Guard into Chinese with his friend and got 468 yuan.[http://e.chengdu.cn/html/2011-05/15/content_235041.htm 薛蛮子 “老奸巨猾”的天使投资人] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108231007/http://e.chengdu.cn/html/2011-05/15/content_235041.htm |date=November 8, 2012 }}

In 1978, Xue was accepted to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, he entered UC Berkeley in 1980, and he made the acquaintance of Masayoshi Son, {{Interlanguage link|Lu Hongliang|zh|3=陆宏亮}}, and Stan Lai. Before graduating, Xue was employed in New York City.{{lang|zh-hans|[http://news.sina.com.cn/c/sd/2011-08-12/130422980405.shtml 薛蛮子：从革命二代到著名投资人]}} After graduating, Xue worked in ThyssenKrupp. In June 1991, Xue returned to Beijing, he founded Unitech with Lu Hongliang and Wang Zuguang.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

In 2011, Xue founded 8848 Electronic Commerce Network. In 2008, Xue settled back in Beijing with his wife and children. In August 2013, Xue attended a meeting which was convened by Lu Wei, the Chairman of the State Council Information Office.{{cite web |url=http://news.163.com/13/0825/09/9745L89300014Q4P.html |script-title=zh:"秦火火"们玩火自焚网上哪些言论会犯法？ |accessdate=2013-08-25|work=163.com |language=zh}}{{cite web |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-08/12/c_132621768.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228225022/http://news.xinhuanet.com/2013-08/12/c_132621768.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 28, 2013 |script-title=zh:国信办主任鲁炜与网络"大V"畅谈社会责任 |accessdate=2013-08-12 |work=Xinhuanet.com|language=zh}}

On 23 August 2013, Xue was arrested for soliciting a prostitute by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.{{cite web |url=http://shanghaiist.com/2013/08/25/chinese_american_investor_charles_xue_arrested_in_beijing_on_charges_of_soliciting_prostitute.php |title= Chinese-American investor Charles Xue arrested in Beijing in 'prostitution' sting|accessdate=Aug 25, 2013 |publisher=Shanghaiist }}{{cite web |url=http://www.dw.de/%E4%BB%8E%E5%AF%BB%E8%A1%85%E6%BB%8B%E4%BA%8B%E5%88%B0%E5%AB%96%E5%A8%BC/a-17045300 |script-title=zh:从"寻衅滋事"到"嫖娼" |accessdate=2013-08-26 |author=Zhang Ping|work=Deutsche Welle |language=zh}} But Xue's real offense was his custom of sharing his ideas about corruption and political reform with his more than twelve-million followers on Weibo.{{Cite journal|last=Zhao|first=Suisheng|date=2016-07-06|title=Xi Jinping's Maoist Revival|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/623609|journal=Journal of Democracy|volume=27|issue=3|pages=83–97|doi=10.1353/jod.2016.0051|s2cid=148247964|issn=1086-3214}} Xue's arrest is regarded as part of China authority's plan to take back control of public opinion online.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-blogger-idUSBREA3G04A20140417 |title=China releases blogger on bail, jails another amid rumor crackdown |date=17 April 2014 |accessdate=Feb 25, 2015 |work=Reuters |archive-date=February 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225171206/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/17/us-china-blogger-idUSBREA3G04A20140417 |url-status=live }} Later Xue apologized on CCTV, explaining that he came across prostitution while working abroad in countries like Thailand and the Netherlands.{{Citation|title=Charles Xue, Chinese-American blogger, is outed on TV over prostitution links| date=5 September 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBz6vAVZ47I|language=en|access-date=2021-12-23}} In his public apology, he explained that he often "did not verify the facts very thoroughly," "did not give constructive advice or opinion," and "focused simply on spreading the message" in his Weibo posts that he said were "full of emotion."{{Citation|title=China state TV 'confession': Charles Xue| date=7 February 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vmR1sVAZl4|language=en|access-date=2021-12-23}} Xue was released on bail in April 2014 "because he was sick," according to the Beijing police.

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Category:1953 births

Category:Living people

Category:Businesspeople from Beijing

Category:Sent-down youths

Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni

Category:American businesspeople

Category:American people of Chinese descent

Category:Chinese Internet celebrities