China's greatest-ever soccer star is plotting to overthrow the country's 'terrorist' government — and says he has the help of Steve Bannon and an exiled tycoon
- Hao Haidong, China's greatest ever soccer star, has delivered a manifesto to overthrow the country's communist government, and says he has the backing of Steve Bannon and an exiled Chinese tycoon.
- Hao appeared Thursday in a YouTube video swearing allegiance to the "Federal State of New China."
- The organization was founded by exiled former billionaire Guo Wengui, and is supported by Bannon, according to The New York Times.
- Hao called China's current leaders a "terrorist organization" and accused Bejing of launching "biological warfare" on the world with the coronavirus. He provided no evidence for the second claim.
- He is China's leading goalscorer in international football, and one of only a small number of Chinese players to play in Europe's elite soccer leagues, making a single appearance in England's FA Cup in 2006.
Retired Chinese footballer Hao Haidong has delivered a manifesto he wants to use to overthrow China's government and replace it with a new one, and he says he has the backing of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Hao appeared Thursday in a lengthy YouTube video swearing allegiance to the "Federal State of New China" — an alternative to the ruling Communist Party of China.
In the video, the 50-year-old former striker read a manifesto demanding an end to the current power structure, calling China's leaders a "terrorist organization" that "tramples on democracy," according to The New York Times.
Hao also accused Beijing of launching "biological warfare" on the world with the coronavirus. Hao provided no evidence that the virus was created or spread deliberately.
The Federal State of New China was founded by exiled former billionaire Guo Wengui, and is supported by Bannon, says The New York Times.
In Hao's video, published on the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, he claimed Wengui, also known as Miles Guo, and Bannon backed his manifesto.
On Thursday, Wengui appeared in a video with Bannon on a boat in front of the Statue of Liberty, in which read out what seemed to be an English version of Hao's manifesto, reports the South Morning China Post.
Wengui fled to the United States from China in 2014 amid allegations of financial corruption, and has since waged a campaign against president Xi Jinping and his administration.
Hao's account on Weibo, China's popular online communications tool, was deleted following the video, while the South Morning China Post says he also faces having his sporting achievements wiped from record books.
In another video, Hao can be seen with his wife, Ye Zhaoying, who won a bronze medal in women's badminton at the 2000 Olympics, in which he urged people to "come forth and speak the truth," according to the SCMP.
Hao is the all time leading scoring for the Chinese national team, having hit 41 goals in 107 appearances between 1992 and 2004. He also helped guide the country to its only ever World Cup finals appearance in 2002.
While he spent almost his entire in China, he also had a brief spell in English football, making a single appearance for Sheffield United, a mid-sized club which at the time played in England second tier. He came on a substitute during a cup game in January 2006, aged 35.
The SCMP reported Friday that Hao could now be stripped of all his official records by the ruling party as a punishment for his dissent. He no longer lives in China, reportedly residing with Ye in Spain.
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