China seeks US cooperation in capturing fugitives

By Mahmut Atanur

BEIJING (AA) – China and the United States are negotiating on an agreement on the extradition of Chinese fugitives as part of efforts to fight money laundering and recover “ill-gotten gains”, according to a report in state-run media Wednesday.

According to The China Daily, negotiations are at an “advanced” stage regarding an agreement on “sharing confiscated assets that corrupt Chinese officials have illegally transferred to the U.S.”.

Under its annual anti-graft operations, China has sought the extradition of officials accused of corruption who fled overseas, reportedly funneling millions of dollars in illicit funds out of the country.

According to Chinese authorities, the U.S. is among the countries preferred by fugitives who escape, as Washington does not have bilateral extradition treaties with Beijing, and due to differences in the countries’ laws.

The Daily reported Wednesday that of 100 former officials who had been named in red notices by China’s Interpol bureau last year, 33 remain at large in the U.S. -- a figure accounting for more than half of the 65 suspects on the list who have not been repatriated since.

It also said that during the G20 Leaders Summit hosted by China last month, officials from both sides agreed to enhance the anti-corruption campaign by denying "safe havens".

China’s top anti-graft watchdog has said that judicial officials from both countries are due to share intelligence and discuss fugitive cases during a China-US Joint Liaison Group on Law Enforcement Cooperation meeting set to be held this month.

The Daily quoted an unnamed senior official from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) as saying that both sides will "prioritize cooperation on repatriating fugitives suspected of economic crimes or illegal immigrants through charter flights".

On Tuesday, state news agency Xinhua cited the Ministry of Public Security as saying that 634 fugitives were repatriated this year.

Ministry data shows that a record number of 857 fugitives were seized from 66 countries and regions last year.

The CCDI revealed in July that 381 fugitives from more than 40 countries and regions had been repatriated in the first half of this year, with 1.24 billion yuan ($186 million) in assets recovered.