3rd Hearing for Mysterious Chinese Heiress Ends in Delay as Questions Mount Over Identity

Yang Lanlan, the mysterious Chinese heiress who has sparked major interest online, has again been allowed more time before appearing in court.

This was the third hearing involving Yang in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Oct. 17. As on the previous two occasions, Yang did not appear in person.

The hearing, presided over by Registrar James Wiseman, lasted only 10 minutes.

Yang’s solicitor did not clearly state whether Yang pleaded guilty or how she would plead. The registrar agreed to postpone the case to Nov. 14 and indicated that at the next hearing, Yang’s side would need to enter pleas.

The case involves a car accident that occurred in Rose Bay, an affluent Sydney suburb, on July 26. Yang was allegedly under the influence when she crashed her $1.5 million Rolls-Royce Cullinan into a Mercedes-Benz van.

George Plassaras, the 52-year-old chauffeur for Sydney radio host Kyle Sandilands, suffered serious injuries including fractures to his spine, ribs, hip, and femur.

Yang was uninjured in the crash and granted bail.

The 23-year-old Chinese woman has sparked curiosity online due to her seemingly wealthy lifestyle—luxury-branded clothes, Rolls-Royce, and an ocean-view penthouse in Sydney—yet there is almost no information about her identity online.

The rumor mill has gone into overdrive, with some linking Yang directly to CCP leadership.

Sheng Xue, a Canada-based journalist and pro-democracy activist, claims Yang was seen visiting Qi Xin—the mother of CCP leader Xi Jinping—during a trip to China.

In her interview with Vision Times, Xue, citing reliable sources, claimed that Yang is “most likely Xi Jinping’s illegitimate daughter.”

The Epoch Times could not independently verify this statement.

“Over a billion people in China are desperately struggling to survive, while the CCP and its descendants have already drained China dry and fled far away,” she posted on X platform.

What Yang’s Solicitor Said

After the hearing on Oct. 17, the prosecutor confirmed to media that negotiations were underway between the prosecution and Yang’s solicitor regarding a potential plea deal.

Yang’s solicitor John Korn, who spoke about Yang’s life in Australia at the last hearing, avoided multiple questions from reporters when leaving the site. Nor did he reveal Yang’s identity or the source of her wealth.

“I don’t know,” he said in response to questions like, “Is she a Chinese national?” and, “Was she holding any foreign passport?”

“That’s completely irrelevant to what I do … Therefore I never asked,” he said. “Not relevant to what I need to know.”

Asked, “What kind of plea negotiation that you’re seeking with the prosecution?” Korn answered, “Positive ones.”

The solicitor stated that Yang will not appear in the court next time “if there’s going to be a resolution of the plea and a plea exit, which is the expectation.”

At the last hearing on Sept. 26, Korn successfully requested to modify Yang’s bail conditions, citing her “very considerable” mental health issues.

“She’s a very shy girl, but I’m assuming she reads and looks at media from time to time,” the lawyer said. “The media attention doesn’t help her personally, or dare I say, professionally.”

Korn has over 40 years of experience in criminal cases. In 2018, he served as the defense lawyer for Chinese actor Gao Yunxiang in an Australian sexual assault case, which lasted two years. Gao was ultimately acquitted.

To date, Yang has not made any public statements regarding the car accident.

NTD reporter Philippe Wang contributed to this report.