The mother of Wanting Qu, the singer romantically linked to Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, has been arrested on allegations of corruption in China.
Qu Zhang Mingjie was detained last fall, reportedly after an investigation into the sale of state properties below market prices for personal profit. In November, she lost her position as a high ranking official in Harbin.
Qu has been posting her mother’s photographs and status updates on Facebook.
“I love my mom dearly and I am truly heartbroken,” Qu posted Friday. “This ordeal is very stressful and I find myself crying over it daily. I appreciate the love and support from my friends, my fans and my family. I will use your strength to get through these tough times.”
This afternoon, Qu also posted one of her songs entitled ‘Life is a Struggle’.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, says it has been a challenging time for his girlfriend.
“It’s obviously a personal issue for her, and a very difficult one,” says Robertson. “It has been many months with no information, and that’s very tough. I can’t say any more about it – I have next to no information on the situation.”
Qu has a massive following in China, as well as multiple platinum successes. She was also the official Tourism Vancouver Ambassador to China in 2013 and 2014.
In a W5 documentary, Mingjie said she initially disapproved of Wanting’s singing career, and cut off contact with her for three years. The two have since reconciled.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Mi-Jung Lee
