China concludes 59 extradition treaties with foreign nations
Global Times
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Canadian man David James Roach (center) arrives in Singapore to face charges of robbery and money laundering on Tuesday. Roach, a suspect in a rare Singapore bank robbery, is set to face charges in the Asian city-state after four years avoiding extradition to the country as he attempted to reach his native Canada, authorities said Tuesday. (Photo: AFP)

China has concluded 59 extradition treaties with foreign countries, more than the 54 countries reportedly announced in September 2019, and has so far extradited 50 people from overseas since 2014 in accordance with the law amid an anti-corruption campaign.

Extradition treaties have been concluded with 25 countries including Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and other EU countries since the 18th CPC National Congress, according to the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on Monday.

Supervisory agencies, procuratorial agencies, and public security agencies of various regions in China have so far extradited 50 people from overseas since 2014 in accordance with the law through cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies amid a program named "Operation Skynet."

In July 2016, Huang Haiyong, the suspect in a major smuggling case involving tax evasion of 700 million yuan ($105 million) who had absconded abroad for 18 years, was extradited to China from Peru, the first fugitive brought back from a Latin American country.

In November 2018, China successfully extradited Yao Jinqi, the former executive deputy magistrate of Xinchang county in East China's Zhejiang Province from Bulgaria under the China-Bulgaria Extradition Treaty, the first time China had extradited a criminal suspect from an EU member state.

The relevant person in charge of the International Office of the Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group stated that they will actively use legal methods including extradition, repatriation, and off-site prosecution to hunt for those who have fled abroad and recover ill-gotten gains, implementing different countermeasures according to different countries, and not allow the corrupt to escape justice.

As of September 2019, China had concluded extradition treaties with 54 countries, 37 of which have entered into force as of September 2018.