New pictures: Joe Biden meets Hunter's Chinese business partners

New pictures: Joe Biden meets Hunter's Chinese business partners

New pictures show the then vice president Joe Biden at a meeting with some of his son Hunter Biden's business partners during an official visit to China. These images also show Hunter's meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials.

Public unveiling of the images

This is the first time these images have been published, although the photo opportunities and encounters have been known for years. The National Archives and Records Administration published the pictures after one Public Records Request a pro-Trump legal group.

The meaning of photographs

The photos come from Biden's visit to China in 2013. In a series of images, Hunter Biden can be seen with his father talking to Xi Jinping. In another series of pictures, Joe introduces Biden to his son Li Yuanchao, who was vice president of China at the time.

Controversies surrounding family business relationships

Another group of images shows Hunter Biden introducing his father to his Chinese business partners, including some executives from private equity firm BHR Partners. After handshakes and hugs, the Bidens posed for a group photo with some of the Chinese businessmen. These images are notable because they already weakened Joe Biden unambiguous statements question the fact that he never had any business contact with his son. In fact, that covered Investigation in the course of the impeachment proceedings against Joe Biden revealed at least two dozen interactions between him and his son's business partners from China and other countries.

Explanations and reactions

In general, Hunter Biden and others involved have testified that despite sporadic phone calls, meetings and dinners with Joe Biden, no substantive business issues were discussed. Hunter Biden's former Main business partner in the US later testified that Hunter was merely "selling the impression" of access to his father, but "nothing of material value was discussed."

Hunter's attorney, Abbe Lowell, criticized the Trump-affiliated group that sought to release the images. In a statement, he said: “This is simply nothing new.”

"The photos accurately reflect Hunter's congressional testimony about the people he saw during the public event on his 2013 trip to China," Lowell added.

Reactions from political authorities

America First Legal, a pro-Trump group, filed the request for the records in 2022 and later sued the National Archives to obtain the documents. The group is led by Stephen Miller, a former employee of President Donald Trump.

Legal and political challenges

"These photos confirm the House Oversight Committee's investigative findings that Hunter Biden linked his father to Jonathan Li and other BHR executives during the 2013 trip to China, where 'Mr. Li sought and obtained access to Vice President Biden's political influence,'" America First Legal stated in a press release.

Asked about the newly released images, a White House spokesman said: "This trip - which took place over a decade ago - is old news. House Republicans have already wasted years and millions of taxpayer dollars trying to prove that the president has no business ties to his son. It's time to end this."

Conclusions and ongoing investigations

Hunter Biden's foreign dealings have been under intense scrutiny from Republicans and Justice Department investigators. Federal prosecutor brought charges for tax crimes, partly due to unpaid taxes from its operations abroad. However, he was never accused of corruption or illegal lobbying, despite Republican claims that he had engaged in criminal influence.

In a controversial move after the election, Joe Biden received a pardon for his son for the 12 tax and weapons offenses for which he was convicted earlier this year. This broad pardon also protected Hunter Biden from future criminal prosecution for possible federal crimes he may have committed between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024.

"Even as President Biden pardoned his son Hunter for everything he 'has committed or may have committed,' more evidence is emerging daily showing how his family exploited Joe Biden's decades-long public career for private gain," Michael Ding, an attorney at America First Legal, said in a statement.

This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Nikki Carvajal contributed to this report.