Tony Xia interview in The Guardian

[paul_e]

He's neither a medical doctor or got a PhD.

He's played a part (paid exec?) in a business that organises construction/urbanisation work - what was his role?

He now runs loss making businesses.

That makes me weary - that's all.

http://www.xwhodesign.com/en/aboutx.asp?li=1&action=%D6%C7%C4%D2%BA%CB%D0%C4

Dr Xia Jian Tong was promoted to be the president of XWHO in 2001. He earned his Doctor of Design degree from Harvard University. He also has been appointed by China Mayor Center and the Ministry of Construction as Distinguished Professor since 2002. He has served as urban development specialist for several cities in China. As a world famous expert in urban planning and landscape architecture, Dr. Xia has participated and chaired in hundreds of projects and cities all over the world.

To me the website you cite looks like a typical architect & town planners site.  These companes earn their money through charging consultancy fees and aren't making the big bucks from construction.

The biographies are penned by the company and not subject to scrutiny, although I'm not saying they're ncessarily untrue.  Xia was born around 1977, so his achievements in 2002 would have been at the age of 27 which seems unlikely if he spent the time claimed doing an undegraduate degree and then spending 6 years at Harvard plus some time at Oxford.

I also see that Hollis credits him with being connected with the birds nest stadium.  Given that the bids and planning for Bejing olympics would have been prepared around the same time or earlier, I just don't see that he would have played a major part.

As I've said before,  it makes me wary (and weary). 

If it makes you feel better he started his degree at 14.

[oldhill_avfc]

14 + 3 years for undergraduate = 17yrs + 6 years Harvard = 23 years + ?1 year oxford = 24 years

So that leaves 3 years ... doesn't stack up.

Maybe its not a big deal but then again it whiffs of bullshit.

Mention was made of the Chinese being interested in devloping football clubs in some sort of recipricol deal for their players but this seems to have taken a backseat in the recent news.   The idea now being touted is that this guy is a town planner/architect who's either spotted (or earned?) his big chance, which seems to be based around some sort of regeneration plan for Aston.   

If he pulls it off then great, but I just can't see what his Chinese backers would get in return, so that leaves  Birmingham Council, the governement or whoever wanting to pump money into the scheme.   If it goes tits up we'll see the debt and transfer fees loaded either onto the balance sheet of AVFC or a project based (UK ) subsidiary of Recon.   

That's why I'm very sceptical.

[paul_e]

The time in Oxford was part of his time at Harvard and his involvement with xwho started at Harvard because his professor was part of the company and added him to the management team and then he was made president a couple of years later.  All fits ok.

Football is a big deal in China, they have added it to the curriculum as I understand it.

He IS a city planner/architect, that's what he studied at Harvard and it's what xwho do, look at their website.

Chinese investment into Birmingham isn't a new thing that we're just talking about now, take a read of the 'Birmingham News' thread in off topic, over the last few years Chinese investment into infrastructure projects has been steadily increasing.  To give you one of the things posted in there -

What they get in return is a diversified portfolio that is better protected from national financial issues.  As I've said, it's almost exactly the same thing that Mansour has done in Manchester.

[Ads]

He didn't spend a year at Oxford, he spent 5 months as part of his time at Harvard and MIT. Similar to the way you can spend your second year abroad over here, it doesn't elongate your study time.

[oldhill_avfc]

ok - so we agree that his background is in city planning and that, through xwho he gained experience and was succesful.

He's now associated with Recon who's only business is making MSG at a loss.  That seems strange to me.

Next,  his business plan would appear to hinge on the regneration of Aston using funds from wealthy chinese backers who want to move their money off shore and diversify their assets.

Why does he need to buy Villa to do this?  That again seems strange to me.

[Stirchley Villain]

Maybe it's a simple as he likes football, has access to the necessary funds and wants to get heavily involved in the British game?

[PaulWinch again]

ok - so we agree that his background is in city planning and that, through xwho he gained experience and was succesful.

He's now associated with Recon who's only business is making MSG at a loss.  That seems strange to me.

Next,  his business plan would appear to hinge on the regneration of Aston using funds from wealthy chinese backers who want to move their money off shore and diversify their assets.

Why does he need to buy Villa to do this?  That again seems strange to me.

Fits in with the Chinese Government's wishes, which I don't think we should underestimate.

[Ads]

*state funds*

[not3bad]

Seen his interview and though English is clearly not his first language he speaks it better than Lerner can write it.

He has set out his intentions. So now as a certain Mr Atkinson would say:-

"Don't tell me, show me"

Agreed.

[Dante Lavelli]

Why does he need to buy Villa to do this?  That again seems strange to me.

When trying to convince a Chinese business to invest huge sums of cash in Birmingham it will be a good tool to persuade them.  "Come over, we'll catch a match and have a game of golf at the Belfry."  Ultimately the club will give him a decent amount of credibility and status.

[not3bad]

He didn't spend a year at Oxford, he spent 5 months as part of his time at Harvard and MIT. Similar to the way you can spend your second year abroad over here, it doesn't elongate your study time.

Yeah but he would have spent 7 months punting.

[DaveD]

There are Chinese state funds involved ?

I'd hope not or we'd better start rewriting the West Ham stadium thread sharpish...

[Chico Hamilton III]

I would have thought that somebody who has spent 6 years studying at Harvard might just speak English a bit better than the good Doctor?

[paul_e]

ok - so we agree that his background is in city planning and that, through xwho he gained experience and was succesful.

He's now associated with Recon who's only business is making MSG at a loss.  That seems strange to me.

Next,  his business plan would appear to hinge on the regneration of Aston using funds from wealthy chinese backers who want to move their money off shore and diversify their assets.

Why does he need to buy Villa to do this?  That again seems strange to me.

The bold bit is completely wrong, Lotus is 1 small part of the group, I've posted lots and lots of links on the other thread but basically xwho are still operating as a subsidiary of recon, teamax is another subsidiary of recon.

He personally will be the chairman but the 'owner' is the group and the group will be the wealthy chinese backer who want to invest in the city.

[Scott Nielsen]

The bold bit is completely wrong, Lotus is 1 small part of the group, I've posted lots and lots of links on the other thread but basically xwho are still operating as a subsidiary of recon, teamax is another subsidiary of recon.

I assume Oldhill means The Financial Times article disputes that.