Bring corrupt officials home

Other Views

The successful hunting of 88 foxes marks the start of a greater campaign to bring all corrupt officials who fled overseas back to face trial. As China promotes cooperation with the related countries and improves its domestic legislature and regulations, corrupt officials hiding overseas will find their space shrinking day by day. They had better come back before the police find them.

cjn.cn, Sept 21

The higher the official, the stricter the approval procedures he needs to go through to travel overseas. However, many officials illegally hold two or even more passports, while some are so-called "naked", with their families living abroad; both make it convenient for them to flee overseas should they be investigated. We hope the ongoing anti-graft campaign can close the loopholes through stricter implementation of the regulations.

Zhang Dehui, associate professor of international police studies at the People's Public Security University of China, xinhuanet.com, Sept 21

The lack of an extradition treaty with most developed countries means China has to resort to other legal measures such as repatriation through the domestic immigration laws of the countries involved. Many countries support repatriation, but with two exceptions, namely usurpation for race or political reasons, or if the person concerned might face torture. That requires China to further promote international understanding and trust of its legal and judicial systems.

cpd.com.cn, Sept 12

Many developed countries have abolished the death penalty and refuse to extradite any suspect who might face it at home. That used to be a dilemma for China, which would violate its domestic laws if it promised not to sentence them to death. Progress came in 2011 when China abolished the death sentence for 13 non-violent crimes and successfully brought smuggler Lai Changxing back. I hope more judicial progress can be made so that justice can be better done.

Liu Renwen, a researcher on law with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, cri.cn, Sept 15

The hunting of tigers and foxes will not only help build a clean government, but also deepen reform by striking at the monopolies of interest groups and improving governance. Together with the anti-graft campaign, there are judicial, education, economic and political reforms, they will propel each other.

people.com.cn, Sept 21