The CEO of PR giant Edelman‘s China holding company has not reported to work for over a week, apparently because he has been asked to “cooperate” with Chinese authorities leading an investigation, a top executive said Wednesday.
Steven Cao is the CEO of the Daniel J. Edelman China Group. Soon after Cao stopped showing up for work, authorities visited one of the company’s subsidiaries in Beijing on July 24 to request help with the probe, said David Brain, president and CEO of Edelman’s Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa business.
Chinese authorities have not given any indication of what exactly they are investigating or made any mention of Mr. Cao. (In China, the phrase his company used—”cooperating with authorities”—can suggest officials are questioning or holding someone.