Travelers’ documents to be verified to identify suspects

The agreement between China and the US to streamline repatriation procedures for Chinese nationals will be a major milestone in the ongoing anti-graft fight against economic fugitives, observers said Sunday.

In a statement released Saturday by the US Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, US Secretary of Homeland Security and Chinese Minster of Public Security Guo Shengkun agreed to a more streamlined process to repatriate Chinese nationals with final orders of removal, while applications for protection will continue to be handled in accordance with US laws and American values.

The agreement was made during Johnson's visit to China on Thursday and Friday, the first of its kind by a US Secretary of Homeland Security in nine years. The meeting between Johnson and Guo was also the first ministerial meeting between the two departments of the two countries, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) on Friday.

The aims of Johnson's trip were to discuss issues of shared concern, which include counterterrorism, customs, immigration, cyber security and maritime security, and comes in advance of President Xi Jinping's 2015 US visit, said the statement.

The two also pledged that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement will work closely with the MPS to verify the identities of Chinese nationals requiring travel documents and will ensure that regular charter flights are scheduled to facilitate repatriation.

Ren Jianming, an anti-corruption expert at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times that the agreement is a "political consensus" between the two countries in filling the gap in the absence of a China-US extradition treaty.

"This will greatly speed up the extradition process by cutting through legal procedures. With this agreement as support, US authorities will process Chinese requests based on evidence collected, and hence overcome political barriers that have stopped the US from agreeing to extradite," said Ren. The US has previously rejected Chinese extradition requests, for example, citing use of the death penalty, Ren noted.

A total of 680 fugitives suspected of economic crimes have been repatriated to China from overseas as a result of the transnational "Fox Hunt" operation launched from July to December last year. A new operation, codenamed "Sky Net," announced in March, continues the work of "Fox Hunt," but will also focus on arresting officials suspected of corruption and cracking down on fake passports and underground banks, in addition to recovering assets involved in criminal cases, according to media reports.

Nations such as the US, Australia and Canada are popular hiding places for Chinese officials fleeing the country or as a destination for assets they have allegedly stolen due to the lack of extradition treaties.

Chinese authorities said last year that more than 150 economic fugitives, many of whom are allegedly corrupt government officials, were hiding in the US.

In March, China gave the US a "priority" list, naming Chinese officials who are suspected of corruption and are believed to have fled to the US. Ren believes the alleged fugitives on the list will be the first to be extradited under the new agreement.

Li Danyang, a research fellow in public administration, also at Beihang University, told the Global Times that despite other political disagreements between China and the US, the two countries have a long history of collaboration between the judicial bodies in areas like drug enforcement.

The MPS said in its statement that the US supports China's operations in tracking down suspected economic fugitives, including under the "Sky Net" and "Fox Hunt" programs. Both sides should seek cooperation in law enforcement, and agreed they would not provide refuge to fugitives.

Li Yongzhong, deputy director at the China Discipline Inspection and Supervision Institute, told the Global Times that the agreement is a warning against corrupt officials that countries like the US will no longer be a safe haven for them.

The agreement with the US will also serve as an example to encourage countries like Australia and Canada to reach similar agreements, Li said.

Canada, which has no formal extradition treaty with China, has in recent years expelled suspects wanted by Chinese authorities, including Lai Changxing. Lai, a businessman wanted for involvement in the largest smuggling case since 1949, was returned to China in 2011 after 12 years on the run. He was sentenced to life in prison.

The US Justice Department in March indicted Qiao Jianjun, the former director of China Grain Reserves Corporation, and his ex-wife Zhao Shilan on charges of illegal immigration and money-laundering with evidence provided by Chinese prosecutors and police.

Qiao remains at large, while Zhao is being held without bail.