Li Lu Is In China

Two of the richest people in the world, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, are currently in China on a high profile business/philanthropy visit. Not all of this trip is high profile, however. A decidedly low key aspect of their trip is that their delegate includes Li Lu, former student leader and one of the 21 "Most Wanted" by the Chinese government for 1989 student movement.

Li Lu was recently reported as a possible successor to Buffet's financial empire. He was instrumental in introducing Buffet (and Gates) to BYD, an emerging battery and auto maker in China. As Buffet and Gates toured BYD in Shenzhen, Li Lu was among them.

A reporter for Hong Kong newspaper Ming Daily describes the scene as highly controlled. Reporters are allowed to photograph Buffet but not his entourage. But Li Lu could still be spotted. The newspaper said that Li Lu entered China with an American passport with special permission by the Chinese authority.

Another Hong Kong newspaper, Apple Daily, actually managed to publish a photograph with Li Lu in a photo-op with BYD managers.

This is the very first confirmed case that one of the 21 Most Wanted student leaders who have escaped abroad is allowed to visit his home country.