California Democratic gubernatorial nominee Xavier Becerra is returning a $20,000 contribution from the son of a prominent Chinese developer who serves as a trustee of a university with reported ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Our News Outlet has learned.
The donation, made to Becerra’s campaign last month, is being refunded after an Our News Outlet investigation highlighted the contribution from Alex Xu. Xu appears to live in California and Canada and serves as CEO of Lotusland Investment Holdings.
Xu and his father, Yiming Xu, are behind the proposed 23,000-acre Guenoc Valley Project, a multimillion-dollar development near the Napa-Lake county line. Becerra previously challenged the project while serving as California’s attorney general.
In early 2021, Becerra joined environmental litigation involving the Guenoc Valley project, pointing to wildfire dangers associated with construction in high-risk areas.
The move reportedly contributed to legal setbacks that delayed the development for several years.
A Becerra campaign spokesperson said Wednesday evening that officials had “not found a record of Alex attending any of our fundraising events” and confirmed that the contribution “was refunded as of yesterday evening.”
Lotusland’s website states that the Guenoc Valley Project has received the necessary approvals and that site preparation and infrastructure work are scheduled to begin in early 2026, with hospitality and residential construction to follow in phases.
The company says it remains focused on sustainable design, cooperation with the surrounding community and protecting the land on which the project is planned.
California Democratic gubernatorial nominee Xavier Becerra has returned a $20,000 campaign donation from the son of a wealthy Chinese developer linked to a university with reported CCP connections, Our News Outlet can reveal
Alex Xu (left), CEO of Lotusland Investment Holdings, gave $20,000 to Becerra’s gubernatorial campaign last month (Source: Courtesy of Rob Brown). His father, Chinese real estate executive Yiming Xu, is a founding donor and trustee of Westlake University, a privately funded research institution with connections to the Chinese Communist Party
Yiming Xu is identified in filings published through China’s Sina Finance as “a permanent citizen of Hong Kong.” He founded and chairs Lotusland Investment Limited, the parent company associated with his son’s business.
He is also a major financial backer of the family’s California project, a role that could draw scrutiny as lawmakers and local communities increasingly debate foreign ownership of large areas of U.S. land by Chinese nationals and entities.
An Our News Outlet review of earlier corporate records found that Yiming has held interests in numerous Chinese companies over several decades. Those businesses have spanned real estate, department stores, cultural and educational ventures, property management, tourism and other sectors.
A translated 2022 document states that Xu invested in Chinese real estate under the ProChina brand, with operations including ProChina Real Estate, ProChina Education, ProChina Property Management, ProChina Commerce and ProChina Tourism. The document says he held controlling or minority positions in dozens of companies.
Xu, who has lived and conducted business in Canada, is also a founding donor, honorary trustee and member of the Board of Trustees at Westlake University, a privately funded research institution in Hangzhou that has received support from figures associated with China’s political establishment.
The university was founded with prominent Chinese scientists, including biophysicist Shi Yigong, who previously declined a $10 million grant in the United States before returning to China. Westlake has emphasized technological and academic self-reliance as part of China’s broader national strategy.
Xu’s position on the board alongside individuals connected to China’s National People’s Congress and government-linked industrial organizations illustrates the relationship between private wealth, state-supported scientific development and the CCP’s wider institutional goals, according to critics.
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An Our News Outlet review of Westlake’s leadership found that several trustees are members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, or CPPCC, a body associated with the CCP’s United Front Work Department and its efforts to advance Beijing’s interests domestically and overseas. Among them is Shi Yigong, the university’s founding president. Xu said he had been friends with Shi since 2017, when they met at a restaurant and Shi persuaded him to support the university after describing its mission.
The proposed Guenoc Valley development covers 23,000 acres near California’s Napa and Lake counties and experienced legal delays after concerns were raised about wildfire hazards
Westlake University founding president Shi Yigong has completed two terms on China’s top political advisory body (Source: Westlake University)
In a 2024 acceptance speech for the CPPCC’s Outstanding Performance Award, Shi said he had served two terms on the organization’s National Committee.
“I have deeply felt the great importance attached to the CPPCC by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and witnessed the CPPCC’s efforts in fulfilling its responsibilities by focusing on the central tasks of the Party and the country,” Shi said.
“Moving forward, I will certainly bear in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s instructions, always uphold my duties to the country and the people, remain true to my original aspiration, forge ahead with determination and deepen the reform practices of Westlake University, serving the country and actively fulfilling my responsibilities, striving to make new and positive contributions on this new journey!” he added.
Last month, Westlake’s CCP chair supervised a lecture series devoted to implementing “General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on doing a good job in the [CCP] Party’s united front work in the new era.”
A separate university announcement published in July said Westlake leaders had marked the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. It described the university’s original mission as “cultivating talent for the [CCP].”
In 2024, another Westlake announcement described a swearing-in ceremony for new CCP members. The university said the recruits would study and implement Xi Jinping Thought, align themselves with the Party and the times, prioritize the country’s broader interests and remember that their primary identity was that of a Communist Party member.
This distinction is considered one of the highest honors awarded to a CCP member by the Party’s Central Committee. Jackie Deal, president of a defense research company and an adviser to State Armor, a watchdog organization focused on CCP influence, described Westlake as a “poster child for the Party’s talent programs.”
![A spokesperson for the Becerra campaign noted that they did 'not have a record of Alex [Xu] attending any of our fundraising events](https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/10/30/17/112177907-16249679-A_spokesperson_for_the_Becerra_campaign_noted_that_they_did_not_-a-5_1793382911496.jpg)
A Becerra campaign spokesperson said officials had “not found a record of Alex [Xu] attending any of our fundraising events”
“Yiming Xu has a long history of working with the Chinese Communist Party on its talent programs, designed to recruit overseas experts and use their knowledge to advance China at the expense of the United States and the West,” Deal told Our News Outlet.
“Does the Becerra campaign know with whom it is dealing?” Yu asked. “There is no good answer to that question.”
Deng Li, whose work has been supported by Yiming for years—including his salary, allowances and research costs, according to Westlake—earned several advanced degrees in the United States, including from Harvard, before returning to China to join the university.
Li’s formal academic title also bears Xu’s name: “Xu Yiming Chair Professor.”
In a letter to renowned violin maker Zheng Quan, Xu said he was moved by Li’s decision to leave the favorable conditions of a leading American private university and return to China to advance chemical research and train students. Xu said he wanted to honor Li’s choice by presenting him with a zither, according to Westlake’s website.
Our News Outlet sent multiple requests for comment to Lotusland Investment, Westlake University and Alex Xu regarding the $20,000 donation and the university’s reported connections to the CCP.
