No safe haven for graft suspects
Print Edition
CHINA has been given an assurance by Western countries that they will not become havens for corrupt fugitives, a senior official told the China Central Television.
China has vowed to pursue an overseas search dubbed Operation “Fox Hunt” for corrupt officials and business executives and their assets, part of its widespread war on deep-seated corruption.
It has been pushing for extradition treaties, but Western countries have been reluctant to help in that regard.
Canada, the United States and Australia are popular destinations where graft suspects have fled, and whose governments have insisted that China goes through the “proper legal process” if it wants them back.
In the latest episode of the television’s eight-part documentary on China’s graft fight, shown on Monday night, Liu Jianchao, who is in charge of China’s efforts to repatriate graft suspects, said that the fight needed global efforts.
“Certain Western countries have clearly stressed that they do not want to become a haven for corrupt elements. This is an extremely important accomplishment, and is an extremely important political promise,” Liu said.
Earlier this month, the government unveiled new plans to once again try to stop confessions through torture.
Torture had been discovered, laid bare in a 2013 case in which six interrogators were charged with drowning a man by repeatedly dunking him in a bucket of ice-cold water.
Liu said cooperation would be good for all countries.
“We need other countries’ support, and at the same time other countries’ anti-graft work needs China’s support. On this issue I think it’s mutually beneficial and win-win.”
In an interview last year, Liu said that China had been changing its tactics in hunting down fugitives, after complaints from some countries that objected to Beijing’s practice of sending investigators to track them down, sometimes without the host countries’ knowledge.
China has been trying to encourage graft suspects to voluntarily come home.
Monday night’s program also contained an interview with Wang Guoqiang, a provincial official who turned himself in in 2014 after two years on the run in the US.
He described how miserable his life there was, living in constant fear of discovery as an illegal immigrant.
“Thinking about this every day, isn’t that what you’d call desperation?” Wang said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
