Chinese billionaire balks at purchase of $83 million vase

The The London Telegraph claims the buyer is a Chinese billionaire who is a member of the Communist Party. Due to his close connections to the government, which has been actively seeking to return what it calls “stolen treasures” of China, has led to speculation that the government used the buyer Mr. Jianlin as a front to sabotage the auction and prevent it from being sold. Items that fail to sell at auction or become controversial can lose their value at future sales.