Graft fighters keep heat on fugitives

China’s top graft fighters are continuing to track down fugitives and recover stolen assets, said officials this week. They also promoted international anti-corruption cooperation last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic in order to consolidate victory in the country’s fight against corruption.

China brought back 1,229 economic fugitives from January to November last year, with 2.45 billion yuan ($379 million) in illegal gains recovered, according to the Communist Party of China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision, which oversees anti-graft efforts.

Of the 1,229 fugitives, 315 had been Party members and State employees, and Interpol red notices had been issued on 28 of them.

The figures were released ahead of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, scheduled to start on Friday.

The commission’s international cooperation bureau said it intensified efforts last year to track down corrupt fugitives from State-owned enterprises, financial institutions and sectors related to poverty alleviation and people’s livelihoods.

Officials also focused on those who have fled in the past five years, those who are involved in crimes involving large amounts of money, those who are at or above the county level, and those who have been the subject of complaints.

Hu Yipin, a former employee at the Bank of Communications in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, was arrested in Vietnam and sent back to China in April. Qiang Tao, an accountant at China Railway Construction Corp, was caught in Myanmar and deported to China in May.

They fled abroad in March and were brought back within three months.

“The COVID-19 outbreak didn’t hinder the pace of fugitive pursuits,” stated the bureau.

“Strengthening judicial and law enforcement cooperation with some countries facilitated China’s fugitive hunting during the pandemic,” stated the bureau. Last year, the National Commission of Supervision made five requests for mutual legal assistance and 32 requests for law enforcement cooperation to other countries.

Other online cooperation efforts such as video meetings and international telephone calls were adopted to strengthen international exchanges during the pandemic.

An online conference was held in December, attended by delegates from about 20 countries and international organizations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, to discuss cracking down on corruption and creating a clean business environment.

By November, China had concluded 169 treaties with 81 countries on extradition, mutual legal assistance in criminal cases and asset recovery.

It had also signed agreements on financial intelligence exchanges with 56 countries and regions, forming a network of anti-corruption cooperation covering all continents and key countries.