Federal court judge was wrong to freeze Huang Xiangmo's overseas assets in tax office stoush

The Chinese billionaire did not challenge the freeze on his Australian assets, including two Sydney homes worth an estimated $3.28 million

A freezing order on the worldwide assets of Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo over a $140m tax bill was unlawful, an appeal court has ruled.

The property developer, whose association with Sam Dastyari led to the Labor senator's downfall in 2018, had challenged the international element of the order on the grounds it was unenforceable in China and Hong Kong, where most of his assets lay.