China Seeks Businessman Said to Have Fled to U.S., Further Straining Ties

China is demanding that the Obama administration return a wealthy and politically connected businessman who fled to the United States. The case of Ling Wancheng has strained relations between two nations already at odds over numerous issues before President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to the United States in September, including an extensive cybertheft of American government data and China’s aggressive territorial claims. The Department of Homeland Security, which handles asylum cases, does not comment about specific cases because of privacy laws.