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Image source,Reuters
The day of the US presidential elections is approaching. The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) reported that the authorship of a widely circulated investigative report on the relationship between Biden’s son and the interests of China was falsified. One of the report’s editors also stated that the report was commissioned by the “Apple Daily” and sparked a discussion in Hong Kong.
“Apple Daily” issued a statement denying this, stating that it had never commissioned anyone to write a report, and the report in the NBC report has nothing to do with “Apple Daily.”
However, the “Apple Daily” later stated that it was Mark Simon, the personal assistant to Next Media president Li Zhiying, who had contacted the report’s editor. Simon admitted that he had commissioned the report’s editor to conduct background checks on the relevant people in the report in a personal capacity and has resigned.
What did the NBC report say?
NBC reported on Friday (October 30) that a recent investigative report on Hunter, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Biden, circulated on the internet, and this document was also released by cronies of President Trump. . But NBC claimed that the 64-page document was a bogus “intelligence” document.
Citing the disinformation investigators’ analysis, NBC reported that the identity of Martin Aspen, the author of this document and a self-proclaimed Swiss security analyst, was falsified. The researchers also concluded that Aspen’s avatar was synthesized using an artificial intelligence face generator. According to public information records and searches on social media and the former Aspen employer, no one by this name has ever worked for the company and no one by this name lives in Switzerland.
One of the original editors of the document, scholar Christopher Balding (Christopher Balding) said that he participated in the writing of part of the document and told NBC that Aspen does not exist. Bard was an associate professor of Chinese economics and financial markets at Fulbright University in Vietnam.
NBC quoted Bard as saying that Aspen was a fictitious person who was fabricated just to publish this report. Bald also claimed that the lead author of the report requested anonymity due to personal and professional risks.
Bard also claimed that the report was commissioned by Apple Daily. “Apple Daily” is based in Hong Kong and is a Next Media newspaper. NBC also quoted an Apple Daily spokesperson as saying that Apple Daily worked with Bard on the document.
How did “Apple Daily” respond?
In response to NBC’s allegations, Hong Kong’s “Apple Daily” stated that it did not commission Barder or anyone else to write any reports, nor did it receive inquiries from NBC, and denied that its spokesperson had formally responded to NBC.
Taiwan’s “Apple Daily” under the same media group also responded that, except for the interview with Academician Bard in the “Shenzhen Zhenhua Data Search Taiwanese” report in September this year, it has never contacted him since. The Taiwan “Apple Daily” also stated that the content of the report cited in the Taiwan “Apple Daily” report had been reverified.
Image source,Reuters
Beijing has repeatedly criticized Li Zhiying for “opposing China and disrupting Hong Kong” and being the leader of the “gang of four that can harm Hong Kong.”
The Hong Kong “Apple Daily” also stated that it was Mark Simon, the personal assistant to Next Media president Li Zhiying, who had contacted Bard. He had been tasked with conducting a background check on the relevant people in the report and withdrawing 10,000 from Li Zhiying’s private company. Bald was paid US dollars as research expenses. “Apple Daily” quoted Mark Simon as saying that the purpose of his original commission was to investigate, not to publish a report.
Next Media Chairman Li Zhiying responded on Friday afternoon, having no prior knowledge of this matter. Li Zhiying said that he did not find out about the incident until the vice president of the Apple Daily told him about the incident and a journalist wanted to visit him. However, he said that he would be responsible for what Mark Simon did and that he would take responsibility for the Apple Daily. Involved by expressing “apologies”.
“Mark used money from my private company to pay for the research he requested for only US $ 10,000, so he does not have to get my approval,” Li Zhiying said on Twitter.
On Friday night, Mark Simon tweeted that he would resign, saying it was to “take responsibility.”
He admitted that he did not fulfill the basic responsibilities of the administrative staff, which caused Li Zhiying’s reputation to be unknowingly damaged.
What did the editor of the report say?
After the NBC report aired, Bard responded on Twitter that he was paid by the Apple Daily to collect background information. He had already told NBC that he could not report (unofficially). He apologized to “Apple Daily” and Li Zhiying, the information was made public in this way.
Bald also stated that the report is not a conspiracy theory document, but a clear record of Hunter Biden’s activities, funds, and individuals that he has contacted. You have carefully reviewed the content of the report.
Bald said he has known and respects the lead author of the report for nearly 10 years, and that the author faces personal and professional risks when exposed.
