Troubled Chinese conglomerate missing up to $15 billion

BEIJING (AP) — Companies that are part of HNA Group, a Chinese conglomerate that says creditors want it declared bankrupt after a global acquisition spree, want to recover as much as $15 billion that might have been paid out improperly to major shareholders or to other companies. The announcements highlight the tangled finances of HNA, the latest in a series of Chinese would-be global conglomerates that are struggling with debt after explosive growth. HNA’s status was unclear three days after it said creditors asked a court to declare it bankrupt because it couldn’t pay its debts.