Vaccines ‘fake’ says billionaire friend of Blair

TONY BLAIR helped to secure a property deal for a Chinese tycoon who gave millions of pounds to the former Labour Prime Minister’s organisations and is now a key figure in a global network spreading anti-vaccine propaganda.

An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has unearthed a glowing personal reference written in 2015 by Mr Blair as billionaire Guo Wengui – who is also known as Miles Kwok – negotiated the purchase of a £47 million penthouse in New York.

‘Miles is dependable, sincere and extremely responsible as an individual; conducting himself with dignity and intelligence,’ wrote Mr Blair. ‘Miles is honest, forthright and has impeccable taste. I would highly recommend him to your building.’

But to the embarrassment of Mr Blair – who has urged the Government to step up its efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy – the property now provides the backdrop to Mr Wengui’s regular video rants in which he says Covid-19 vaccines are ‘fake’.

Mr Blair had been out of No 10 for less than a year when the Beijingbased billionaire, who at the time boasted excellent contacts with the Chinese Communist Party, first ingratiated himself by buying 5,000 copies of Cherie Blair’s 2008 autobiography Speaking For Myself, which he handed out to his employees. As Mr Blair criss-crossed the world to build his fledgling business empire, Mr Wengui became one of his i nfluential friends. According to leaked documents, Mr Wengui gave £2.1 million to the Tony Blair Faith Foundation charity on June 1, 2015 – four months after Mr Blair’s letter.

The Chinese tycoon also gave £1.4 million to Windrush Ventures No 3 LP, part of the network of companies set up after Mr Blair left Downing Street that helped fund his work in the Middle East and other group global activities.

Mr Wengui was accused of corruption and other misdeeds by the Chinese authorities and fled to the United States in late 2014.

In May 2017, Chinese media claimed Mr Blair had helped broker introductions to the Abu Dhabi royal family, helping the magnate to raise £2 billion for business deals. Sources close to Mr Blair say the introductions were not made as claimed and no payments were made for services.

Earlier this month, The Washington Post revealed Mr Wengui’s links to GNews, an online media channel that has spread disinformation about the Covid- 19 vaccine programme. In a video posted on GNews on April 21, Mr Wengui said: ‘The CCP [Chinese Communist Party] virus is undoubtedly the CCP’s biochemical weapon. In addition, there can never be a vaccine. All the vaccines are fake. Because before you figure out whether the virus is a biochemical weapon or from nature, how could you have a vaccine? Humans have never developed any vaccine in just 60 days or six months.’ On the same day, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change called for all data about the UK’s vaccine programme to be published to ease fears. Last night, a spokesman for Mr Blair said: ‘Mr Kwok was a donor to Tony Blair’s Faith Foundation charity and his Initiative for the Middle East – all funds from the donations made several years back were applied in furtherance of this not-for-profit work – and there has been no further donation. ‘ He has never had a commercial contract with Mr Kwok nor received fees for such work from him, neither did his previous company. Mr Blair’s views on vaccines are well known.’ Mr Wengui’s legal representatives did not respond to a request for comment.