China to toughen measures to recover officials' illicit assets

'It's so difficult' for authorities to secure return of illegal funds

China will strengthen the measures it uses to recover corrupt officials' illicit assets transferred abroad and demand other countries freeze such assets to cut off the officials' means for living overseas, a member of the supreme procuratorate said on Wednesday.

The official, from the anti-corruption bureau of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, made the remarks on the sidelines of the fourth seminar of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, which concluded on Thursday.