China Voice: No "safe haven" abroad for Chinese fugitive corrupt officials

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, it will simplify the repatriation process for Chinese fugitives and ensure regular charter flights that will return them to China.

Considering that there is no extradition treaty between the two nations, China should welcome this news as a positive step on its countercorruption path.

Figures regarding the actual number of Chinese fugitive officials and the wealth they have transferred offshore are unclear but without doubt, they are substantial.

Due to differences in judicial systems and law enforcement, Chinese graft busters have often found that their hands were tied when seeking to secure the return of fugitives.

The top destinations for China's runaway officials -- the United States, Canada and Australia -- have for a long time been favored by corrupt officials.

In turn, many "naked" officials, those who have sent their families abroad, were encouraged by the success of those that had fled before them.

However, the tables have turned, with the Sky Net countercorruption campaign seeing boosted cooperation between China and other countries on repatriation or investigation; soon there will be no safe havens for Chinese fugitive officials.

The US statement stopped short of detailing the agreement, and many countries that have signed judicial cooperation agreements with China still require evidence of criminal activity or proof that assets were illegally gained.

In another example, the rule of default judgement does not apply in China, which means the courts cannot pronounce suspects guilty in absentia.

To help ensure the success of international efforts, China must do more, through strengthening the combined efforts of graft-busters from the Communist Party of China, the police, courts, prosecutors, and financial regulators tasked with money-laundering detection.

Securing cooperation from the US is not easy but it can be taken as a sign of things to come in terms of international cooperation. Endi