7,831 graft fugitives nabbed in 6 years; over $2.8b returned

China brought back 7,831 fugitives from more than 120 countries and regions from 2014 to June, with 19.65 billion yuan ($2.82 billion) of illegal gains recovered, according to a work report of the National Supervisory Commission, the nation's top anti-graft watchdog.

Among them, 2,075 were members of the Communist Party of China and State employees, and 60 were on the Interpol red notice list of China's 100 most-wanted corruption fugitives, the report said.

While delivering the report, Yang Xiaodu, head of the commission, said, "The CPC Central Committee has elevated the work of tracking down fugitives and recovering stolen assets to the political and diplomatic level and incorporated it into the overall plan of anti-corruption work."

The report was reviewed on Monday during a session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, China's top legislature, for the first time since the establishment of the commission in 2018.

The top legislature adopted the country's first law on national supervision in 2018 and the National Supervisory Commission was created as part of the country's reform of supervisory institutions to prevent corruption.

The law entrusts the commission with responsibilities such as international cooperation against corruption, strengthening efforts to hunt down fugitives, recovering stolen assets and preventing corruption suspects from fleeing abroad.

The commission is elected by the NPC and is subject to supervision by the top legislature. The supervision includes reporting its work to the NPC Standing Committee.

The report said that after the commission's establishment, both the number of fugitives brought back to face trials and the amount of stolen money recovered greatly increased.

Since the commission began its work in 2018, 3,848 fugitives and 9.911 billion yuan of illegal gains were recovered, both accounting for about half the number of fugitives and money recovered from 2014 to June.

"The institutional advantages of the reform have been further transformed into governance effectiveness in the field of fugitive repatriation and asset recovery," said Yang, head of the commission.

The number of Party members and State employees who fled abroad each year has dropped significantly, from 101 in 2014 to four in 2019.

Global cooperation was also strengthened. China has signed 43 treaties on extradition, judicial assistance and return of assets with 28 countries since 2014, the report said.

"An anti-corruption law enforcement cooperation network covering all continents and key countries has formed," Yang said.