Former vice-mayor repatriated to China after capture

Guo Baichun, a duty-crime suspect who once served as vice-mayor of Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, was recently captured overseas, and sent back to China, the country's top anti-corruption authorities said on Friday.

The capture and return should thank the efforts made by the Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group's Fugitive Repatriation and Asset Recovery Office and the assistance of relevant departments, as well as the close cooperation between Ningxia's supervisory and public security organs and law enforcement agencies of relevant countries.

The repatriation information has been disclosed by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China and the National Commission of Supervision online, but some details such as when Guo was captured and from which country he was returned to China, have not been made public.

Guo, 58, was placed under investigation by the Ningxia's supervision department in January for suspected serious duty-related crimes.

The office said that Guo's return was a move to implement the requirement forwarded at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of CPC early this year, adding that it was also an important result of its "Sky Net", an operation that began in 2015 to apprehend corrupt officials who had fled overseas.

"We'll continue to pursue fugitives, with momentum maintained in the fight against corruption," the office said, revealing that its mechanism of pursuing fugitives, preventing fugitives and recovering assets will also be further optimized.

In addition, "we'll deepen anti-corruption international cooperation in judiciary and law enforcement, and won't allow those who are corrupt to go unpunished," it added. Earlier this month, the office launched a new round of operation Sky Net 2024.

Data released by the top anti-corruption commissions showed that from January and November 2023, China brought back 1,278 fugitives, including 140 former officials, and 48 subjects against whom Interpol Red Notices had been issued. Embezzled funds amounting to 2.91 billion yuan ($ 406 million) were recovered in the process.