China has recovered billions of yuan from losses to corruption and arrested 122 on-the-run government officials this year, authorities have said.
China’s anti-corruption watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, reclaimed about 2.3bn yuan (£268m) in the 11 months to November.
It comes after Beijing moved the focus of its anti-corruption drive, known as Sky Net, to recovering illicit funds moved out of the country. The recovery of the losses from the use of public office to gain illegal benefits came from 70 regions and countries, according to the watchdog’s website.
More than 900 suspects were arrested, 122 of whom were government officials, and the watchdog vowed to redouble its efforts by focusing on key countries and working even more closely with foreign powers to crack down on corruption.
Since coming to power in 2013, President Xi Jinping has promised to pursue all financial criminals, from “tigers” to subordinate “flies”, in his crusade against corruption.
In November, one of China’s most wanted corruption suspects, Yang Xiuzhu, a former deputy director of the city of Wenzhou’s construction bureau, was deported from the US and surrendered to the Chinese authorities after living abroad for 13 years.
In June, another of China’s 100 most-wanted corruption suspects, Zeng Ziheng, a former engineer in the northern province of Henan, returned voluntarily from Canada.
Western countries have at times been reluctant to assist the extradition of the alleged criminals, not wanting to send people back to a country where human rights groups say mistreatment of suspects remains a problem and prosecutors are unwilling to explain what they are actually wanted in connection with. In Zeng’s case, no details of the exact crimes he was wanted for were given.
Last year the US pledged support for China’s campaign to hunt corrupt officials abroad in a meeting between security chiefs from the world’s two largest economies. It is unclear, however, how relations will fare under Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated as US president on 20 January.
Trump has already upset Beijing by breaking diplomatic protocol in speaking to Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, and then attacking China on Twitter.
