Campaign to bring back graft fugitives bears fruit

Chinese authorities repatriated 782 corruption fugitives and recovered 23.66 billion yuan ($3.39 billion) in illicit funds between January and November 2025, according to data released on Tuesday by the country's top anti-graft watchdogs.

An article from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission revealed that 61 former Communist Party of China members and government functionaries were among the repatriated individuals. The group also included 36 individuals on Interpol's red notice list and two on the country's list of 100 most-wanted corruption fugitives.

Over the past year, discipline inspection and supervision authorities at all levels have intensified efforts in fugitive repatriation, asset recovery and cross-border corruption governance — culminating in the launch of the "Sky Net 2025"campaign in March, which prioritized cases involving the 100 most-wanted fugitives.

In July, Zhou Jinghua, a former businesswoman on the 100 most-wanted list, was extradited from Thailand, marking the full repatriation of all such fugitives in Asia. The same month also saw Liang Jinwen, another former business figure on the list who had fled overseas for 28 years, voluntarily return to surrender and repay all illicit gains in full.

As a core part of "Sky Net 2025", the NSC launched its first special campaign targeting the recovery of stolen assets linked to overseas duty-related crimes. The drive secured the retrieval of 23.66 billion yuan in illicit funds between January and November.

The anti-graft bodies have also enhanced cross-border corruption governance efforts, advancing the enactment of an anti-cross-border corruption law. They have deepened reform and governance through case handling, coordinated investigation and risk prevention, and elevated cross-border corruption governance to new heights. To date, China has signed anti-graft cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations.

Yang Weidong, a professor at the Institute of Rule of Law at China University of Political Science and Law, said the data underscores China's remarkable achievements in overseas fugitive repatriation and asset recovery over the past year.

Anti-corruption is a comprehensive endeavor that requires systematic advancement both domestically and internationally, he noted. Combating overseas corruption involves multiple challenges, including investigation and evidence collection, criminal identification, alignment of domestic and foreign laws, personnel and evidence handover, and international cooperation coordination. This necessitates close collaboration among supervisory, judicial, diplomatic and other relevant departments.

Yang emphasized that priority should be given to institutional building to prevent fugitive escapes and cross-border asset transfers in addressing overseas corruption. Building on past successful cooperation, efforts should be made to expand bilateral and multilateral agreements with relevant countries, laying a solid foundation for future fugitive repatriation and asset recovery work.

He added that in formulating domestic anti-cross-border corruption legislation, consideration should be given to the growing concealment of such crimes and their evolution through new technologies, so as to better enhance the crackdown effect.

yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn