China poison accused Jasmine Sun discovered living in Australian coastal town of Port Stephens
An investor living in a NSW town is accused of being at the heart of a poisoning mystery that has enthralled China for 30 years.
A property investor living in a small NSW town stands accused of being at the centre of a mysterious and deadly poisoning that has enthralled millions in China for 30 years.
Sightings of the woman known as Shiyan “Jasmine” Sun, in Port Stephens, on the northern central NSW coast, have sparked a petition for Anthony Albanese to deport her to China to face questions over the case.
Ms Sun and husband Feiyu “Ringo” Xie have built up a multimillion-dollar property portfolio in the region, but according to campaigners seeking justice for her alleged victim, she is the prime suspect in the 1994 poisoning of her university roommate, Zhu Ling.
Zhu died a month ago, turning the long-running tragedy into a potential homicide investigation.
Campaigners and fellow students have now identified Shiyan Sun as Sun Wei, the woman accused of poisoning Zhu after allegedly becoming jealous of her university roommate’s talent, popularity and love life.
They claim she has changed her name, and even her birthday, to shed her previous life as Sun Wei, who was studying chemistry at the university and is believed to have had access to thallium, the highly toxic metal used in the poisoning.
Zhu was left paralysed, almost blind and with the mental capacity of a six-year-old requiring 24-hour care for almost 30 years, sparking a search for justice being conducted by millions of people in China.
But with growing calls for Ms Sun to return to China, sources close to her say she fears for her life.
Ms Sun has declined repeated requests to speak to The Australian, with her husband, Mr Xie, describing her situation as “unfortunate”.
“It’s an unfortunate thing for us, but we are not prepared to comment on anything,” he told The Australian last week.
“I want to protect her, I don’t think it’s a good thing, as you can imagine.”
When told that Zhu’s family had many questions, he said: “Of course, then publish their side of the story.”
“We need to protect ourselves,” he said.
Mr Xie said his wife’s details, including mobile phone numbers, emails, business and property records had been “exposed” by online Chinese amateur detectives trying to solve the Zhu poisoning.
Chinese “netizens” have been targeting individuals who have personal and business dealings with Ms Sun, urging them not to associate with her in an attempt to force her back to China.
The first evidence of Ms Sun’s presence in Australia emerged in 2014 when she purchased three properties in Quakers Hill for $2.11m, before selling them in 2021 and pocketing a tidy $1.47m profit.
In 2015 she purchased a large farm in Booral on the NSW Mid-North Coast before finally settling in the Port Stephens area in 2017.
Now the couple own five properties between them, including a holiday rental and another freshly renovated and on the market.
On their holiday rental listing, they say they enjoy swimming, kayaking and playing at the various beaches in the Port Stephens area, as well as riding bikes to the fish market to buy fresh oysters and watch the pelicans on the dock.
In the mid-1990s, China was left in shock after Zhu, a bright and popular 21-year-old chemistry student, was poisoned in her dormitory at the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Initial symptoms of stomach pains, rapid hair loss, dizziness and severe abdominal cramps left the best doctors at the best hospitals in Beijing scratching their heads.
It took a retired Australian pathologist in Canberra, Dr Ted Macarthur – who passed away in 2010 – to urge doctors to test Zhu for the presence of a heavy metal used in rodent and insect poisons.
Zhu died at the age of 50 on December 22 from a brain tumour attack, believed to be the after-effects of the thallium poisoning. Her parents, now in their early 80s, are demanding answers about what really happened at Tsinghua University 30 years ago.
Anthony Albanese, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are now being sent a petition signed by more than 38,000 people demanding the deportation of Ms Sun back to China to face questions over the Zhu poisoning.
No one has ever been charged over the poisoning.
Intriguingly, some of Zhu’s personal belongings, including her mug and contact lens case, disappeared during the police investigation, with some people of the belief those items could have carried traces of the poison.
Ms Sun has previously said she was cleared of wrongdoing and denied any knowledge of or involvement in Zhu’s poisoning.
Back in 2013, when Zhu’s supporters were petitioning to have Sun Wei thrown out of the US, Chinese police defended their original investigation, adding that the passage of time and scant evidence meant it’s unlikely they’ll reopen the case.
Previous reporting suggests Ms Sun wasn’t prosecuted due to her grandfather, Sun Yueqi, a senior Chinese official and another relative, a former vice-mayor of Beijing. Ms Sun said her grandfather had died by the time she was questioned by police.
In 2013 more than 150,000 people signed a White House petition urging the Obama administration to investigate and deport Ms Sun after she had left China for the US.
Millions of people have interacted with posts on Chinese and Western social media.
Pictured for the first time in more than 20 years, Ms Sun and Mr Xie have built an extensive multimillion-dollar property portfolio, buying, renovating and selling houses, and are leasing out a luxury waterfront holiday rental.
For the past 30 years, the lives of Zhu’s parents, Wu Chengzhi, 84, and Zhu Mingxin, 83, revolved around their daughter’s care.
On a daily basis they would push “Lingling”, as they affectionately called her, in her wheelchair on to public buses to an exercise centre and would cut her food into tiny pieces so she was able to eat it.
In a joint statement, Zhu’s parents told The Australian through representatives of the HelpZhuling foundation, they will miss the sound of their daughter’s laughter, her optimism and her desire to live.
They say they hold “very slim” hopes that justice one day might be served for their daughter. They want the world to know Lingling took her final breath on Earth with her eyes open.
“Truth will always prevail … Don’t bring more suffering to Zhu Ling’s family, classmates, all the people who are impacted by Zhu Ling’s life, including your own family.”
Tzung-Li Tang, a Chinese-English interpreter and lecturer, is a member of volunteer team Justice for Zhu Ling, which has pushed for Ms Sun’s extradition.
“We want to make it clear, Australia is not a safe haven for those attempting to escape justice,” Ms Tang told The Australian.
“While Zhu Ling’s (alleged) perpetrator enjoyed a seemingly carefree life, complete with celebrations and property acquisitions, Zhu Ling herself, under the devoted care of her ageing parents, battled the aftermath of the poisoning – voice loss, life-threatening infections and organ deterioration,”she said.
“Though her cognitive abilities mirror that of a child, her hair bears witness to the unspeakable acts perpetrated against her.”
Who is Jasmine Sun?
Jasmine Sun, a property investor in the NSW tourist town of Port Stephens, has been accused of poisoning university student Zhu Ling in China in 1994. She is believed to have changed her name from Sun Wei to Shiyan Sun, but everyone knows her as Jasmine. Ms Sun has denied any knowledge of and involvement in Ms Zhu’s poisoning.
How was Zhu Ling poisoned?
Zhu Ling was left paralysed, almost blind and with the mental capacity of a six-year-old requiring 24-hour care for almost 30 years after she was poisoned by thallium. Her poisoning began a search for justice by millions of people in China.
What is thallium?
Thallium is a highly toxic metal used in rat poison.
What was Zhu Ling’s cause of death?
Zhu Ling died at the age of 50 on December 22 last year from a brain tumour “attack”, believed to have been linked to the lingering effects of the thallium poisoning. Her parents, now in their early 80s, are still demanding answers about what really happened at Tsinghua University 30 years ago.
What is Jasmine Sun doing now?
Pictured for the first time in more than 20 years, Jasmine Sun has built a life in the Port Stephens area with her husband Feiyu “Ringo” Xie. They have developed an extensive multimillion-dollar property portfolio, buying, renovating and selling houses, and are leasing out a luxury waterfront holiday rental.
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