The Honeypot, the Bribe, and the Trump Opposition Research: Understanding the Biden-China Story

Introduction

The 2020 U.S. Presidential election was not just a race between two different political visions. It was the result of a ten-year effort by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to gain financial and political power over top American leaders.

New records released in July 2026, along with bank statements, reports from whistleblowers, and private emails, point to a complicated operation.

This operation reportedly involved millions of dollars paid to the Biden family, the collection of data on 220 million American voters, and the hiding of information by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and intelligence agencies.

I. Follow the Money

The financial relationship between Hunter Biden, James Biden, and Chinese business figures connected to the state is more than just normal business.

It fits a known pattern called “elite capture,” where foreign countries try to influence powerful leaders.

Bank records and testimony from IRS whistleblowers show that between 2017 and 2018, CEFC China Energy—a firm linked to the CCP and intelligence agencies—sent millions of dollars to accounts connected to the Bidens.

In August 2017, $5 million was wired from Northern International Capital, a group tied to CEFC, into a joint business venture called Hudson West III.

This was a partnership between Hunter Biden and Gongwen Dong, an associate of CEFC.

That money was later moved to companies owned by Hunter Biden and James Biden.

Bank investigators thought these transfers were strange and lacked a clear business purpose, noting they matched patterns where Chinese groups target the families of top political figures.

Notable details include:

  • A $40,000 personal check from James and Sara Biden to Joe Biden in September 2017, labeled as a “loan repayment”. Bank records show that this money came from the Chinese-origin funds.
  • Hunter Biden received a $1 million payment linked to CEFC official Patrick Ho, whom Hunter once called China’s “f***ing spy chief”.

Hunter Biden’s own messages contradict the idea that there was a separation between his business and his father.

In a July 30, 2017, message to a business associate, Hunter claimed he was “sitting here with my father” while asking for a $10 million payment.

These records suggest these business deals were not for real work—since CEFC later went bankrupt—but were designed to gain future political influence.

One internal communication from a Biden associate noted: “The Biden’s are the best I know at doing exactly what the Chairman wants from this partnership. Please, let’s not quibble over peanuts”.

Credit is due to the journalist Catherine Herridge for providing critical corroboration of the financial entanglements detailed in IRS whistleblower testimony.

Her reporting specifically surfaced documentation—including bank records and internal communications—that verified the $1 million retainer paid to Hunter Biden by CEFC official Patrick Ho.

Furthermore, Herridge’s analysis of investigator notes underscored the erratic nature of these wire transfers, which lacked clear business purposes and aligned with intelligence-community indicators of foreign targeting of political families.

This independent validation of the payment trails supports the conclusion that these were not standard commercial transactions but rather structured financial conduits designed to create leverage.

II. 2020: Influence Operations and Information Warfare

During the 2020 election, China used the political division in the U.S. to its advantage. While a 2021 report said China did not interfere with the actual counting of votes, the 2026 documents show a much wider range of activity.

1. Chinese actors gathered information on 220 million American voters. Intelligence shows this data was analyzed to predict behaviors and change public opinion.

2. Additionally, reports from 2025 mention FBI files that suggest Chinese government actors created fake U.S. driver’s licenses to help ineligible people vote for Joe Biden by mail.

These claims are still being reviewed, but internal FBI emails show that headquarters recalled these reports and stopped further investigation because the reports contradicted public statements made by the FBI Director, Christopher Wray.

III. Policy Choices

A major question is whether these foreign financial ties created “compromise points” for the Biden administration.

On the one hand, Biden put limits on exporting advanced computer chips to China to slow their military growth.

On the other, critics point out specific exceptions and delays that allowed Chinese firms, like Huawei, to keep getting advanced technology.

In other words, critics argue, licenses for these firms were handled on a case-by-case basis, letting them build advanced technology through workarounds.

As a point of circumstantial evidence, minutes from the 13th Board Meeting of BHR Partners (a Biden-linked venture) show the group focused on AI, defense, and chip manufacturing at the same time the Biden administration was creating its strategy on this subject.

House Oversight findings suggested that the Biden family’s finances were a “potential softening factor” in how strictly the U.S. responded to China.

IV. Institutional Failures

Whistleblowers describe a failure of the U.S. Intelligence Community and the Department of Justice during the 2020 election related to Chinese influence.

A primary example is the handling of the Hunter Biden laptop.

Even though the FBI and IRS had verified it, 51 former intelligence officials publicly claimed the laptop had the “earmarks of Russian disinformation”.

This caused the media to ignore the evidence of Chinese payments during the campaign.

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler testified that leaders at the DOJ and FBI slowed or blocked investigations once the Chinese payments and the $40,000 check were discovered.

They said investigators were told not to follow leads related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Again, Herridge’s reporting deserves a mention. The discrepancy between internal investigative conclusions and public-facing narratives was clearly illustrated by her reporting on the Hunter Biden laptop’s authentication.

While the October 2020 letter from 51 former intelligence officials publicly characterized the laptop material as having the “classic earmarks of Russian disinformation,” she reported that FBI and IRS personnel had already authenticated the material well before the 2020 election.

This reporting demonstrates the existence of a documented gap between what was known by investigators regarding the laptop’s veracity and the information disseminated to the public—clear evidence of corruption during the 2020 election cycle.

V. The Role of JiaQi Bao

The most direct evidence of Chinese intelligence trying to guide the Biden campaign comes from communications between Hunter Biden and JiaQi Bao, an assistant to a Chinese energy chairman.

Bao, who appears to have been an intelligence asset, used “honeypot” tactics, such as offering to keep Hunter’s personal items safe and providing favors.

The investigative work of Yaacov Apelbaum—particularly his forensic analysis of digital networks and recovered communication archives—has been instrumental here, in mapping the structural mechanics of China’s foreign influence operations and exposing the networks that actively hid their influence.

In March 2018, as CEFC was failing, Bao advised Hunter to keep $1.4 million in assets instead of returning them to creditors. He did so.

Bao later gave Hunter opposition research against President Trump written by the Chinese and advice on how Joe Biden could win the election. These included:

  • “Focus on Priority”: A letter detailing the Chinese strategy for a Biden victory, which dismissed books about the family’s business ties as “fabrication”.
  • “Uncle Joe 2020”: Bao urged the campaign to attack Trump’s “backward thinking” regarding the border wall and his maturity.

The lack of action by government agencies regarding these messages suggests an institutional focus on self-protection that damaged national security.

VI. Conclusion

Numerous documents clearly show financial paths and policy decisions that are consistent with Chinese influence operations and attempted election interference. While there is no publicly available literal blackmail demand and response, the record confirms:

  1. Large payments from Chinese-linked sources to the Biden family.
  2. Communications from Hunter Biden using his father’s presence to further deals.
  3. The suppression of intelligence regarding Chinese interference.
  4. Policy exceptions that allowed China to keep advancing in key technologies.

Until all communications are declassified and the government’s handling of these leads is independently investigated, the public remains in the dark about the true level of foreign influence.

Disclaimer: This report uses sources declassified as of July 2026. Readers are encouraged to check public filings and committee transcripts independently. This article is written in the author’s personal capacity and all opinions are the author’s own. Personal time, device, and premises.

Bibliography

Primary Congressional Exhibits & Transcripts

Intelligence Community Assessments & Unclassified Reports

Investigative Journalism, Financial Records, and Wire Transfer Documentations

Legal Filings, Subpoenas, and Department of Justice Records

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