Chinese Property Tycoon Zhang Li Admits Bribing San Francisco Official

Chinese property tycoon Zhang Li, who was arrested in London in December and later extradited to the U.S. to face corruption charges, has admitted bribing a local government official in San Francisco to facilitate a property development project in the city.

Zhang, 70, is co-chairman and CEO of Hong Kong-listed property firm Guangzhou R&F Properties Co. Ltd. He and Z&L Properties Inc., a U.S.-based firm he controlled, were charged with bribing Mohammed Nuru, a former head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works (DPW). He appeared in a district court in California on Tuesday, according to a statement released Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the northern district of California.