The US Justice Department recently indicted Qiao Jianjun, a fugitive Chinese official and his ex-wife on charges of money laundering and immigration fraud after the couple funneled about $50 million of stolen money to the US in 2011 and lied about their marital status to get US visas.
Qiao, former director of an important grain warehouse, is still on the run while his ex-wife Zhao Shilan is being held without bail. The pair may be deported to China. As US law enforcement officers traveled to China to gather evidence for the indictment with close coordination from their Chinese counterparts, this signifies the growing cooperation on anti-corruption between the two countries.
The intensive anti-corruption campaign in China has effectively cracked down on entrenched officials with a long list of high-ranking officials exposed, not to mention a longer list of lower-level ones. But the thorny issue still remains as to how to bring back many officials who have funneled the ill-gotten money overseas and then managed to immigrate there.
The US is one of the most popular destinations for these officials, but the lack of an extradition treaty between the two makes it hard for China to bring them back. The US is still suspicious of China's legal system and therefore only two Chinese economic criminals were sent back over the past 11 years. As a result, many suspected economic criminals still conceive of the US as a haven to escape punishment for their misdeeds.
They may be dealt a heavy blow. Operation Fox Hunt has seized 680 suspects of economic crime from about 69 countries and regions since it was launched in July. Wang Qishan, head of China's discipline watchdog, reportedly will visit the US for further cooperation on the corruption crackdown. The US has visibly shown its intent on working with China on this issue and clarified it's not interested in providing a haven for these wanted people.
China has signed extradition treaties with 39 countries, but it is estimated there are about 150 Chinese economic fugitives in the US alone. The two sides still need ongoing communication and negotiations in the anti-corruption field toward signing an extradite treaty, but multiple ways can be used to nab those escaped officials, as Qiao's case suggested.
Meanwhile, the rule of law and crackdown on corruption has become the top priority of the Chinese government and in this process an increasing transparency in China's judicial system can be expected. This will help build momentum for bilateral cooperation between Beijing and Washington, essentially for the entire bilateral relationship. It is crucial for China, but a clean China will also benefit the US in return.
没有评论:
发表评论