Student arrested for killing girlfriend after joint China-US operation

Shao Tong, found slain in Iowa, pictured in Facebook photo.

BEIJING - Chinese police, in cooperation with US authorities, have arrested murder suspect Li Xiangnan in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Shao, a student at a university in Iowa, America.

Li's arrest was ratified by Wenzhou City People's Procuratorate on June 19. Li, a native of east China's Zhejiang province, faces the charge of intentional murder.

Shao and Li had "emotional entanglement" before Shao's death by strangulation, police said without giving further details. Li fled to China on Sept. 7, 2014, after the alleged incident. He handed himself in to Wenzhou Police on May 13.

A missing person's report on Shao was received by Iowa Police on Sept. 17, her body was found on Sept. 26.

At the invitation of the US, China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) dispatched an investigation team to the US in early June.

Both sides collaborated on the investigation. The US police transferred evidence to the Chinese team.

China will continue to enhance cooperation with foreign counterparts on criminal cases that harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, an official with the MPS Criminal Investigation Bureau said.