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China determined to fight corruption

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-30 07:51

VIII. International Exchanges and Cooperation in Combating Corruption

With the rapid development of economic globalization, corruption has shown the tendency of becoming more organized and transnational. It is the consensus of all countries and regions in the world to strengthen international exchanges and cooperation in combating corruption, to which China attaches great importance. It proposes to enhance cooperation with other countries, regions and relevant international organizations, learn from one another and jointly combat corruption in the principle of respecting each other's sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit, respecting differences and placing emphasis on substantial results.

China, enhancing international exchanges and cooperation with other countries, regions and relevant international organizations, has become an important force in the international anti-corruption campaign. So far, China has signed 106 judicial assistance treaties with 68 countries and regions. It has established the China-US Joint Liaison Group on Law Enforcement Cooperation and an anti-corruption panel with the United States. It has also set up a bilateral Law Enforcement and Judicial Cooperation Consultations with Canada. The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Supervision of China have engaged in friendly exchanges with anti-corruption institutions in more than 80 countries and regions, and concluded cooperation agreements with relevant institutions in eight countries, including Russia. Multi-field exchanges and cooperation have been carried out with such international organizations as the United Nations, European Union, World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). China has also actively participated in anti-corruption cooperation within the framework of the G20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The Supreme People's Procuratorate has signed procuratorial cooperation agreements with relevant institutions in more than 80 countries and regions. The Ministry of Public Security has established 65 round-the-clock hotlines with relevant institutions of 44 countries and regions, and concluded 213 cooperation documents with interior or police departments of 59 countries and regions.

To promote international exchanges and cooperation in combating corruption, China acceded to the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2005. In order to fulfill its obligations, China established an inter-department coordination group consisting of 24 government departments to organize and coordinate the implementation of the convention in China and the integration of Chinese laws and the convention. In 2006, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Anti-money Laundering was promulgated to prevent and contain money laundering and relevant crimes. China has, in succession, acceded to four international anti-money laundering conventions, and become a member of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering. In 2007, the National Bureau of Corruption Prevention of China was established to carry out international cooperation and technical assistance on corruption prevention.

China also actively participates in other international anti-corruption organizations, and attends and hosts international anti-corruption meetings. In 1996, China, Pakistan and other countries jointly set up the Asian Ombudsman Association. In 2003, China acceded to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the first such international convention. In 2005, China joined the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts Task Force of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum and the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia-Pacific. In 2006, the Supreme People's Procuratorate initiated the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), the first such international organization, whose members are anti-corruption agencies of various countries and regions. In recent years, China has successfully held many international meetings, including the 7th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), the 7th Asian Ombudsman Conference, the 5th Regional Anti-Corruption Conference for Asia and the Pacific, the 1st Annual Conference and General Meeting of the IAACA and the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Symposium. China has also participated several times in such international anti-corruption conferences as the Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity, the Global Forum on Government Reform and the IACC.

Extradition and repatriation of corruption suspects is an important part of international anti-corruption cooperation. In 1984, China acceded to the International Criminal Police Organization, and enhanced international cooperation in catching corruption suspects fleeing abroad. In 2000, China promulgated the Extradition Law of the People's Republic of China, which laid the legal foundation for extradition cooperation between China and other countries. So far, China has concluded bilateral extradition agreements with 35 countries, and acceded to 28 multilateral conventions which contain provisions of judicial assistance and extradition. China conducts international judicial cooperation, including extradition, with more than 100 countries in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.