No havens for fugitives

With China intensifying the hunt for corrupt officials who have fled to other countries, it is becoming increasingly evident that the havens overseas are disappearing.

The recent issuance of global arrest warrants by Interpol China National Central Bureau for the 100 most-wanted corrupt officials who have fled overseas means China has opened a second front in the battle against these fugitives.

In the past, some corrupt Chinese officials, especially those whose family members had already settled in other countries, would flee China once any indications emerged they might be prosecuted. Incomplete statistics shows that at least 4,000 corrupt officials with stolen assets of more than 300 billion yuan ($48.4 billion) have fled overseas in the past three decades. Due to systematic and legal differences with other countries, as well as the lack of adequate coordination in this field, China has faced huge difficulties getting them home to trial.