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China denies sending prisoners to work abroad

By Zheng Jinran (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-08-10 14:27

China’s Ministry of Commerce has denied foreign media reports the country has sent convicts to work overseas in a bid to reduce prison overcrowding, China News reported.

The official from Department of Outward Investment and Economic Cooperation, who did not disclose his name, branded the reports “groundless” without mentioning which foreign media ran the story.

He said Chinese companies must meet certain qualifications before they participate in projects abroad and employees working abroad should “master related skills and have no record of misconduct and crime.”

The official also said under the law of the People’s Republic of China on the Control of the Exit and Entry of Citizens, Chinese citizens serving a sentence or undergoing reeducation through labor are forbidden to go abroad.

The official added that some foreign media with ulterior motives have fabricated rumors and should correct their report as early as possible.