Ken Paxton donations tied to Chinese real estate investment firm

Ken Paxton and his allies have spent millions this election cycle on ads that accuse his Democratic U.S. Senate challenger, James Talarico, of helping Chinese investors buy up Texas land.

But before unleashing the attacks, Paxton’s campaign took in $40,000 from donors who work for companies that facilitate the exact kind of Chinese investments he has criticized, according to a review of campaign finance documents by Hearst Newspapers. 

The donations, all made before the most recent June 30 filing deadline, were far from the largest to Paxton’s campaign. They are significant, however, given how heavily he and the GOP at large have gone in on making Chinese influence a marquee issue in the race.

A spokesperson for Paxton did not address questions about the donations, but said in a statement that the attorney general has spent “more than a decade fighting the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and protecting Texas from foreign threats, including suing CCP-aligned companies.” 

RELATED: Why Ken Paxton allies are attacking James Talarico on China

“Meanwhile, James Talarico picked a side, and it was decidedly pro-Chinese Communist Party and anti-Texas,” the spokesperson, Madison Cercy, said.  

Most of the donations are linked to a U.S.-based real estate development company called Wan Bridge, which solicits foreign investors for its housing developments in Texas. Cofounder Ting Qiao donated nearly $30,000 to Paxton and PACs affiliated with him from June of last year through  April. Danting Li, a cofounder and the company’s chief operations officer, donated just over $10,000 through two donations last year. Both are based in Texas, according to their social media profiles.

A third donor, John Chiang, works at a U.S. development firm that contracts with Wan Bridge, along with a U.S. subsidiary of a Chinese company connected to the Communist Party of China. 

Wan Bridge’s American website opens to a leasing page that prompts visitors to learn more about its Houston, Dallas and Austin homes for rent. It also says the company is “expanding into AI data center development – creating the foundation for both future neighborhoods and next-generation digital infrastructure.”

Wan Bridge’s Chinese website, which Hearst reviewed using Google Translate, is oriented toward investors, with tabs to learn more about development projects and investor resources that do not appear on the U.S. site. It shows photos of houses the company has built in Houston, Austin and Dallas, which investors appear to be able to purchase and then collect rent from tenants. Part of the Chinese homepage advertises the company’s joint operations between the two countries, allowing for smoother investment from people based in China. The Chinese website also features company leaders in China who are not pictured on the U.S. site.

Paxton’s PAC, Lone Star Liberty, dropped more than $7 million on an ad last month that says “while you’re working overtime just to survive, James Talarico is helping communist China.” The ad accuses Talarico of voting against bills that the GOP-led Texas Legislature passed to ban Chinese-owned businesses from buying homes in the U.S., among other things. The PAC also dropped more than $3 million on a similar ad that warns “communist China” is “buying up Texas.” 

Several other ads from outside groups also focus on China. 

As attorney general, Paxton has at times focused on Chinese influence, announcing a slew of investigations into various companies as well as several lawsuits over their potential connections to the Chinese government. 

“As attorney general, I took on the Chinese communist party, suing CCP-controlled companies and defending the Texas law that keeps the Chinese government from buying our land,” Paxton said during a recent stump speech in Bryan. 

Neither Chiang, Qiao nor Li responded to requests for comment. There companies also did not reply to messages seeking comment.

Both Li and Qiao formerly worked at Modern Land, a Chinese real estate development company with a Chinese Communist Party branch, which is sometimes required in the country. Qiao spent more than 10 years at Modern Land, according to his LinkedIn, and became executive vice president. 

Li spent two years at the company via a U.S. subsidiary called America Modern Green, or AMG Capital, where she was director of investor relations, according to her LinkedIn. 

AMG has been part of significant development projects in Houston, including a residential development in Lower Kirby called Ivy Green. The project has drawn criticism from conservative activists because part of its funding came from a federal program that grants visas to wealthy foreigners who make significant investments into U.S. companies. 

AMG and Wan Bridge both work with U.S. development firm Sueba, which is based in Houston and where Chiang is the executive vice president and COO. The firm is one of AMG’s major partners for the Ivy Green project, handling construction on apartments. It is featured both on Wan Bridge’s U.S. and Chinese websites. 

Chiang gave Paxton $3,000 this cycle, and has given him $12,000 across his previous races. 

He has been an active donor in past elections, giving on average one or two federal donations each year. His donation to Paxton is his largest in federal races. At the state level, he’s supported a slew of other Republican candidates, from Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to Rick Perry and Don Huffines. 

Qiao hasn’t given to other federal candidates, and his only state-level donation went to former attorney general candidate Aaron Reitz this cycle for $25,000. Reitz was defeated in the primary. 

Li hasn’t given other federal donations, but has given two donations to statehouse minority leader Gene Wu in previous cycles. Her donations to Paxton are her largest. 

China’s potential investment in the U.S. has grown in importance in the state Legislature, which passed multiple bills last session to limit land purchases by foreigners and limit government investment in foreign companies. 

Finance experts say Chinese investors are drawn to U.S. real estate because of its relative stability. A Washington Post article from 2016, when Chinese investments here were at a peak, found that investors were “driven by expanding wealth in China and a desire for a haven against political instability.” 

The leading buyers of U.S. real estate from foreign countries are from Canada and Mexico, followed by China, according to the National Association of Realtors. Buyers from China made up 11% of foreign purchases in 2026, the association said. Texas was the third most common destination, after California and Florida, for all foreign purchasers.