Lucky for him he's a Democrat or he might be in trouble...

What this tells you is that Joe no longer has the power he once had (whether directly or through proxies). The money was never for legal representation, it was always a bribe for future favours. Now, the ability for Joe to deliver on those corrupt promises is evaporating or has evaporated. This move is China sending a signal that they know that Joe is a lame duck. A bit like how the Clinton Foundation "donations" dried up when Killiary lost.