'Red notice' fugitive returns to China for surrender

BEIJING -- Chang Gaocai, a fugitive suspected of duty-related crimes, has returned to China and surrendered himself to the authorities after four years on the run, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

Born in 1957, Chang was the former head of the quality and technical supervision bureau of North China's Shanxi province and fled overseas in 2019. In the same year, the provincial anti-graft body filed the case for investigation, and in 2022, an Interpol Red Notice was issued against Chang.

An official with the Fugitive Repatriation and Asset Recovery Office of the Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group said Chang's return is a significant outcome of China's endeavors to capture fugitives suspected of duty-related crimes.

The official pledged further efforts to deepen international anti-corruption cooperation and crack down on the outlaws, urging fugitives to return to China to surrender at the earliest opportunity and seek lenient treatment.