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The New Zealand Herald reports that friends of the pair have described the marriage as "loveless".

"His second wife didn't marry him for love or the child, she married him for New Zealand residency," an unnamed friend told the newspaper.

"He loved her, but I don't think she loved him. They have always had problems in their relationship."

Friends of Mr Xue told the Herald he was a caring and proud father, but others claimed he was a liar.

Auckland restaurant owner Raymond Tang told the newspaper Mr Xue was known in the Chinese community for exaggerating the truth.

"Some people in the Chinese community say he's a liar," he said.

Mr Xue may also have exaggerated his tai chi ability.

"He introduced himself as the professor, or great master, so as a martial arts practitioner I paid him the respect by addressing him as see-fu [master]," a man who trained with him told the Herald.

"He asked me to translate a book he wrote, but after I read it, I did not want to do it. I felt he was so full of himself in the book and in one chapter, he even described himself as the son of God."