Kuang Wanfang (C), an economic crime suspect, is escorted at the Changle Airport in Fuzhou, Southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept 24, 2015. The woman, who fled to the US in 2001, is suspected of taking part in corruption and bribery, and was repatriated to China thanks to close cooperation between Chinese authorities and their US counterparts. (Photo/Xinhua)
The second deportation hearing of China's most-wanted economic fugitive Yang Xiuzhu took place in the New York City Immigration Court on Monday, without a ruling. Yang's hearings have drawn much attention in both China and the United States as Yang is no longer simply seen as a corrupt official that has fled from justice, but as emblematic of the nations' anti-corruption resolve.
Yang, the former deputy mayor of Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang province, is accused of accepting 253 million yuan (about $40 million) in bribes. She was the subject of an Interpol red notice after she fled China in 2003.
Last month, Yang's businessman brother Yang Jinjun, another of China's most-wanted economic fugitives, was repatriated to China from the U.S.. He was the first of the 100 suspects on the "red notice" to be repatriated back from the U.S. since China's "Sky Net" operation was launched in April.
His repatriation is a sign that important progress has been made in anti-graft cooperation between China and the U.S., and China has expressed its appreciation of this.
The U.S. has become a top destination for corrupt Chinese officials looking to evade arrest by fleeing overseas. It should continue to cooperate with China and honor its commitment in this regard so that China's global hunt for corrupt officials and economic criminal suspects can be carried out smoothly.
In an era of globalization, no country alone can tackle the problem of corruption. Countries around the world are strengthening their anti-graft cooperation to eliminate the loopholes in the system and bring fugitives to justice.
Against such a backdrop, the U.S. has no reason to continue giving Yang protection as it will only restore the U.S.' image as a haven for corrupt Chinese officials.
