The United States and China are close to an agreement on repatriating illegal Chinese migrants, the U.S. security chief said on Tuesday at the end of a visit that also focused on aviation and ports security.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said returning illegal immigrants, rather than releasing them on bail, would act as a deterrent.

US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff (L) gestures during a meeting with Luo Gan (not in picture), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, in Beijing April 4, 2006.  [Reuters]

"If we catch them and release them ... we suggest to people that if they can get across the border they are home free and safe from being returned. We want to send a very different message," Chertoff told reporters.

"We've reached a meeting of the minds and a common approach on the issue of repatriation of illegal migrants with China."

About 39,000 Chinese were illegally in the United States, many of them brought there by people-smugglers, Chertoff said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Tuesday Chinese leaders had agreed with the visiting US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that pragmatic measures should be taken to tackle the issue of illegal immigration to the United States. He did not specify what those measures were.

Liu reiterated that "China will accept the return of illegal immigrants once it has been confirmed they are Chinese citizens and left from the Chinese mainland."

As the first US homeland security secretary to visit China, Chertoff met a number of senior Chinese leaders in the past two days, including Public Security Minister Zhou Yongkang, Civil Aviation Minister Yang Yuanyuan, Justice Minister Wu Aiying and Foreign Vice-Minister Yang Jiechi.

He also held talks yesterday with Luo Gan, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee.

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