Daniel Foa

Daniel Foa, also known in Chinese media as Fu Daniu, is a British businessman who became widely known for being the husband of Xi Jinping’s niece, Wu Yaning (also known as Wu Xiao). He was born and raised in the United Kingdom and graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a degree in economics.

In the years before Xi Jinping rose to the top leadership position in 2012, Daniel Foa attracted attention in Western media, which described him as 'the foreigner most closely connected to China’s highest leadership.' Reports at the time said that after marrying Wu Yaning, he lived with her and their child in Beijing’s Shunyi suburb, leading what friends described as a modest and ordinary lifestyle.

Daniel Foa’s career path began in Shanghai, where he worked at IBM, and later in Beijing at Nortel Networks. Some reports have suggested that he and Wu Yaning were also associated with former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation, though this experience is not listed in his own LinkedIn profile. Instead, he emphasizes that in November two years ago, he became a senior advisor to the American electric vehicle company Fisker.

In the summer of 2023, Fisker announced the opening of a distribution center in Shanghai and appointed Daniel Foa as a member of its China board of directors. This appointment brought him back into the spotlight, as it coincided with heightened tensions between China and the European Union over electric vehicle subsidies. The news sparked discussion about whether Xi Jinping’s extended family might have business ties to China’s EV industry, complicating the political landscape.

Friends describe Daniel Foa as casual in appearance, with unkempt hair and a laid-back style of dress. His relationship with Wu Yaning is said to have been influenced by her fondness for international circles and foreign friends. Wu herself studied in the UK, speaks excellent English, and maintained a very low profile about her family background until shortly before Xi Jinping became General Secretary.

Through both his marriage and his business activities, Daniel Foa remains a figure whose personal and professional life occasionally intersects with sensitive political narratives surrounding China’s leadership and global industry relations.