I am Rick McCullough, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and the father of Zhao Wei / Zhao Zixuan, whose mother is Zhang Yueran, and who was arrested for registering a bank account under her own name. I would like to clear up some questions people have had.

There are a lot of conspiracy theories floating around about my daughter, Zhao Wei / Zhao Zixuan, and her mother, Zhang Yueran, as well as about me and my motivations. I would like to put some of these to rest.<br><br>First of all, I am Rick McCullough. I am a tenured associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. My primary job is as a professor and a cardiothoracic surgeon, and I have been doing this for almost eight years. I am also the founder and owner of several biotechnology companies in Philadelphia, whose focus is on reducing the cost and increasing the accessibility of biological therapies. I am not a "businessman" nor a "capitalist" or anything else; I'm a surgeon.<br><br>Next, let me clarify that my daughter's mother is not "a Chinese billionaire," nor do I have any connections with the CCP. Zhang is a brilliant woman who, with her siblings, started a company called Huadi Group, and through hard work and intelligence, they were very successful. Zhang has never been involved in the government, and never had any connections with the CCP. When Zhang and I met, she was pursuing a degree at Cambridge University, and the first time Zhang ever came to the US was when she met my family on the East Coast. Zhang and I split up when Zhao was three years old, and since then, Zhang has been a fantastic co-parent and an even more fantastic mother. She has given me 100% custody on paper, because as a surgeon, I have more flexible time to spend with Zhao. Zhang never wanted Zhao to leave the US, but as Zhao got older, she began to express a desire to learn about her Chinese heritage, and in 2016, she asked if she could spend the summer in China with her extended family, which I agreed to. I also went to China with her, and stayed as long as I could, until I had to go back to work. Zhang and I were able to spend a lot of time together with Zhao, and that was the start of our co-parenting process. We co-parented for many years, and have always been on good terms. In 2021, we got back together, and now we are in the process of getting married. We have always had the utmost respect for each other, and are best friends.<br><br>Next, let me speak to Zhao's arrest. First of all, the police made a mistake when they kept referring to her as "Wei", because her legal name is "Zhao Zixuan". Zhao's Chinese name is "Zhao Wei", and her American name is "Zhao Zixuan". She has always gone by "Wei" in China and "Zixuan" in the US. This is not a "fake name" nor was she "hiding" anything. It is customary for Chinese people to have multiple names, and to use different names in different contexts. Zhao has never used different names to deceive anybody, and has always used the name appropriate to the situation. Her legal name is "Zhao Zixuan McCullough", and she has a Chinese passport, American passport, and a Hong Kong passport. She has never hidden her identities or used different identities to deceive anybody.<br><br>Zhao was arrested for registering a bank account with her passport. She had no idea this was a crime, and was in no way involved in any shady business dealings. She is being held under "compulsory criminal liability", which I believe may be a new law. I don't know why she was arrested, and I don't know what she has done wrong or why she is being held. I was able to see her once, but I have not been able to get in contact with her since, and I don't know what is happening to her. I have hired a lawyer for Zhao, and for myself, and we are in the process of figuring out what Zhao did wrong and how to help her.<br><br>I'm sure there are a lot of questions, and I will do my best to answer them. I'm not acting in my official capacity as a professor, nor speaking on behalf of the University of Pennsylvania. I am acting as a father and speaking as a father. Thank you for your understanding and for your kindness.<br><br>EDIT: I have been informed that there are a lot of comments and that it is impossible to keep up with them all. Please continue to be kind and understanding, and please try to be respectful to China and to Chinese people. Thank you.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked where Zhao was arrested. I believe she was arrested in Beijing by the Chaoyang Police Department, but I'm not entirely sure.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked why Zhao doesn't have an attorney. Zhao does have an attorney, and I have an attorney too. My attorney has been helpful, but the process has been slow. I am not a lawyer and do not know the details of the case, and Zhao's lawyer cannot give details of the case because of attorney-client privilege.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked why I didn't speak to Zhao during the video call. I did speak to Zhao, but it was brief, and I was not allowed to ask her any questions. I am not allowed to see her physically, but we have been able to speak on the phone a few times. I am worried about her, but I have been told that she is being treated well and that she is in good health.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked why I didn't speak to Zhao during the video call. I did speak to Zhao, but it was brief, and I was not allowed to ask her any questions. I am not allowed to see her physically, but we have been able to speak on the phone a few times. I am worried about her, but I have been told that she is being treated well and that she is in good health.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked why Zhao's case is in Chaoyang District Court. I was told that Zhao's case is in Chaoyang District Court because the Chaoyang Police Department is the one who arrested her, and that they have jurisdiction. I am not a lawyer and do not know the details of the case.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have said that Zhang's father, Zhao Changxing, was a billionaire with close connections to the CCP. First of all, I have never met Zhao Changxing, and do not know anything about him. Zhang has told me that he is a kind and gentle man who was a hard worker, and that he was very successful in his business. Second, I do not believe that Zhang Changxing was a billionaire, and certainly do not believe that he was connected to the CCP. He was a hard worker and a brilliant businessman, and he had no connections with the CCP.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked why Zhang has been called a "billionaire businesswoman." I don't know where these sources are from, but I do know that Zhang is not a billionaire. She has been very successful in her career, but she is not a billionaire, and she has never claimed to be.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have said that I am "connected to the CCP." I do not know where this information is from, but it is entirely baseless. I am a surgeon, professor, and founder of several companies, and I have no connections with the CCP. The only connections I have with China are through Zhang and through Zhao.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have said that I am "faking" being a professor and a surgeon for "street cred." I do not know where this information is from, and I can assure you that it is entirely baseless. I have been a professor and surgeon for almost eight years, and have been at the University of Pennsylvania my entire career. I have worked hard to pursue my passion for medicine and for science, and I have never claimed to be anything I am not.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have said that I am "faking" being Rick McCullough. I do not know where this information is from, and I can assure you that it is entirely baseless. I have spoken to several people who know me and who can verify that I am who I am. I have been a professor and surgeon for almost eight years, and have been at the University of Pennsylvania my entire career. I have worked hard to pursue my passion for medicine and for science, and I have never claimed to be anything I am not.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked why Zhao does not have a driver's license. I believe Zhao got a driver's license many years ago, but I am not entirely sure. I do know that when Zhao was in high school, she had to work part-time jobs to support herself, and did not have much time to get a driver's license. <br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked what Zhao's father's nationality is. My nationality is Irish American. I do not have Chinese citizenship.<br><br>EDIT: Some people have asked about how common it is for people to be arrested for opening bank accounts with a foreign passport in China. I believe this law is relatively new, and I do not know the details of the law. However, I do know that it is illegal now, and Zhao did not know this at the time, and so she was arrested. I do not know the details of the case, and all I can say is that Zhao is innocent and that she is being held without bail or bond. I am worried about her, and I hope that she will be released very soon.