U.S. to use chartered flights to deport Chinese fugitives, illegal immigrants

2015-09-28 08:04Global TimesEditor: Li Yan

Chinese fugitives and illegal immigrants from China will be sent back through chartered flights from the U.S., after both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in fighting corruption. [Special coverage]

The agreement was among the 49 outcomes achieved by Chinese President Xi Jinping's first state visit to the U.S., which ended on Friday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Sino-U.S. cooperation against corruption also covers the recovery of assets. Both countries would discuss the mutual recognition and enforcement of forfeiture judgments.

"Repatriating fugitives and illegal immigrants through charter flights shows that China and the U.S. have arrived at a consensus on a divisive issue," Huang Feng, head of the Institute for International Criminal Law at Beijing Normal University, told the Nandu Daily.

The U.S. has agreed to deport certain Chinese citizens because it considers them illegal aliens or immigrants, not because China considers them fugitives, Huang said.

As of November 2014, China has been enjoying extradition treaties with 39 countries, including France and Italy, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But no extradition treaty exists between China and the U.S..

The agreement revealed in the outcomes list on the recovery of assets serves as a new avenue for Sino-U.S. cooperation in cracking down on transnational corruption crimes, Huang said.

This means China could freeze the assets in the U.S. after applying for mutual recognition from the U.S., which could enforce the forfeiture judgments and make the overseas recovery more efficient, according to Huang.

Previously, China had to freeze, forfeit and then return the illicit money back based on laws in the foreign country, which complicated matters, he said.

Earlier this year, China and the U.S. agreed that the U.S. would assist China in repatriating economic fugitives on the so-called "Red Notice" list. China published a list of 100 suspected corrupt officials under the "Sky Net" initiative.

Two people on the list, Yang Jinjun and Kuang Wanfang, have been returned to China under the initiative. Kuang Wanfang was deported to China by the U.S. on Thursday. She fled to the U.S. in 2001 and is suspected of engaging in bribery.

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