China hands over child abuse suspect to US authorities

Chinese police handed over a United States citizen wanted by Interpol for alleged child sexual abuse crimes in the US to US authorities in Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Thursday, said China's Ministry of Public Security on Thursday.

The handover was made in response to a request from US law enforcement agencies, and the suspect was escorted back by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the US Department of State, it said.

This marks another successful cooperation between law enforcement agencies of China and the US, following the escorting of two fugitives suspected of serious crimes from the US to China in June this year.

According to the ministry, in May 2014, the suspect was wanted by US law enforcement for alleged child sexual abuse crimes, and in October 2018, Interpol issued a red notice against him.

In response to the US request, Chinese police conducted a thorough investigation into the fugitive, eventually locating and detaining him according to the law. After investigation, it was determined that the fugitive did not commit any crimes related to child sexual abuse within China, the ministry said.

An official from the ministry stated that based on the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries, at the San Francisco summit in November, the law enforcement agencies of both countries have recently engaged in practical cooperation in areas such as drug control, repatriation of illegal immigrants, fugitive pursuit, and combating transnational crimes.