China to chase corruption suspects abroad

BEIJING -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) announced the launch of a half-year campaign targeting fugitive suspects of corruption and other duty-related crimes on Friday.

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Prosecutors were told to spare no effort to bring suspects that have fled abroad to justice and to seize illegal gains.

"The authority of law must be resolutely upheld and crimes must be strongly cracked down and deterred," according to a statement issued after the SPP's conference on the campaign.

The statement also vowed vigorous use of confiscation rules in China's law to make it impossible for corrupt officials to economically benefit from their corruption.

The statement said prosecutors should intensify collaboration with other procuratorial agencies and other departments such as police, foreign affairs, court and the central bank to maintain an efficient and well-organized system.

Systems of information sharing, intelligence exchange and work coordination should be established and improved to apprehend fugitives, it said.

It also pushed to reinforce international cooperation framework, make full use of current bilateral and multilateral judical agreements and treaties and innovate in cooperation platforms to conduct more flexible and practical international cooperation via diversified forms and channels.

Based on a comprehensive investigation, the campaign should focus on key targets and cases, the statement said.

Methods to bring back suspects include employment of extradition and repatriation rules or by persuasion, it said.

It also urged Chinese prosecutors to strengthen the study of foreign laws to improve their competence to deal with suspects and illegal gains abroad.