A few words about Zong Qinghou's trust for his three illegitimate children. There are some common sense facts that many netizens still do not understand.
First, the court ruling shows that these three children are confirmed to be Zong Qinghou's biological children, with birth certificates, and Zong Fuli has known this since childhood; they have lived together for decades. The Hong Kong court's injunction also confirms that the three children are related to Zong Qinghou as father and son, without any terms like self-proclaimed. There is no sudden emergence or rumors about them being the children of an uncle.
Second, the trust was established with clear documentation, setting up a trust of 700 million USD for each of the three children. The trust genuinely exists. Zong Fuli has also signed an agreement with the three children, ensuring the completion of the 2.1 billion USD trust. When Zong Qinghou was critically ill, he urged Zong Fuli to quickly complete the funding. However, Zong Fuli's delays or unwillingness led to the situation where, at the time of Zong Qinghou's death, only 1.8 billion USD was in place.
Third, many netizens say that 1.8 billion USD is a lot and suspect it involves the loss of state-owned assets, suggesting the state can reclaim it. This somewhat underestimates Zong Qinghou. Zong Qinghou has been the richest man in China for a long time, and this amount of money is nothing. Nongfu Spring currently has a market value of over 500 billion, and Wahaha's revenue and net profit are both higher than Nongfu Spring's, making Wahaha even more valuable. Last year, Nongfu Spring's net profit was 12.1 billion, and Wahaha's is certainly more than that.
Due to historical reasons, state-owned assets have not received significant dividends; each year, there are over 10 billion in net profits, most of which remain with the Zong family. In short, Zong Fuli inherits the Wahaha Group, valued at several hundred billion, while the money for the three illegitimate children is just a small fraction.
Fourth, this lawsuit will most likely end in a private settlement, with no clear winner or loser, and no party completely out of the picture. Zong Fuli and the three illegitimate children have signed a document stating that if the 2.1 billion USD trust is not established, they also have the right to inherit Zong Qinghou's other assets.
Du Jianying and the three children filed a lawsuit because Zong Fuli has been delaying the establishment of the trust, and even wanted to include her own children as beneficiaries, and she has shut down 18 factories in which Du Jianying had shares.