Overview

• China has released five Chinese nationals who worked for the US-based due diligence firm Mintz Group after nearly two years in detention.
• The employees were detained in March 2023 during a broader crackdown on foreign consultancy and due diligence firms operating in China.
• Mintz Group was fined $1.5 million in 2023 for conducting unauthorized 'foreign-related statistical investigations.'
• The release of the employees follows the conclusion of the China Development Forum, where Premier Li Qiang pledged to expand market access for foreign investors.
• Mintz Group expressed gratitude to Chinese authorities for the release, emphasizing the firm's global operations in fraud investigations and background checks.