More suspects confess in corruption fight

China saw more voluntary confessions of high-ranking officials and more corrupt fugitives brought back from abroad to face trial last year, according to a report on combating corruption and upholding integrity issued on Tuesday.

The report was based on research regarding the punishment and prevention of corruption in China last year by the China Anti-Corruption Research Center and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The sweeping campaign against corruption was overwhelmingly successful in 2018, and China did not relax its efforts to punish duty-related crimes last year, the report said.

In fact, in 2019 there was an increase in the number of corrupt officials turning themselves in to discipline watchdogs-about 10,360 people, including 124 officials on the ministry or bureau level, according to the report.

Ai Wenli, a former senior political adviser in Hebei province, surrendered himself to anti-graft officials in 2018 and was later sentenced to eight years in jail for accepting bribes equivalent to 64.7 million yuan ($9.1 million), according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

He was the first vice-ministerial level official to give himself up since late 2012, when the anti-graft campaign became a top priority across the country to combat both "tigers and flies", referring to high-ranking and low-ranking officials, according to the CCDI.

The report said a number of voluntary confessions occurred across the country last year due to high anti-corruption pressure and relevant policies.

"It shows that the discipline inspection organs are more capable of finding problems, and the deterrent power and authority of the supervision system in the country are increasing," it said, adding that there are fewer chances for suspects to escape and get away from the law.

Chasing corrupt fugitives and confiscating their illicit assets achieved remarkable results last year as international cooperation continues to grow, the report said.

China has brought back 2,041 fugitives suspected of corruption and economic crimes to face trial from abroad, including 860 Party members and corrupt officials, with 5.42 billion yuan recovered. Forty of them were on Interpol's Red Notice list, according to the report.

During the Second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in April last year, China jointly launched an initiative with countries and international organizations to encourage more cooperation on tracking down fugitives and recovering stolen assets, the report said.

In October, the National Supervisory Commission and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime signed a memorandum on anti-corruption cooperation in which the two sides collaborated to prevent and punish corruption.