The US and China do not have an extradition treaty.
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China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency said Friday that Beijing “appreciates” the US decision to return Yang to China, heralding it as a harbinger of “progress in China-U.S. anti-graft cooperation”.
“The forced repatriation of Yang Jinjun is an important development in the China-US anti-corruption and law enforcement cooperation and has laid an important foundation for cooperation between both sides in this field“, the CCDI said.
Pictures showed him in handcuffs flanked by two Chinese policemen as he was being taken across the tarmac of an unidentified airport.
As part of its anti-corruption campaign, China has sought to repatriate businessmen and government officials accused of economic crimes.
The United States has repatriated a Chinese businessman on a list of the country’s most wanted fugitives.
The CCDI stated Sino-D.R. regulation enforcement and judicial departments had “joined arms within the struggle towards cross-border corruption offences”.
Yang reportedly fled to the U.S.in 2001 and was the general manager of the Minghe Group, a construction business that operates out of the eastern city of Wenzhou.
There are speculations that Yang’s extradition – only a few days before President Xi Jinping visits the US – is meant to appease China and create an amiable atmosphere for the Chinese leader’s visit.
The terms of Yang’s repatriation remains unclear, but the move clearly goes against USA concerns about torture and death sentence that prisoners are likely to face in China.
President Xi has previously said corruption threatens the Communist Party’s grip on power, but his war on graft has been criticised for lacking transparency. He is wanted on suspicion of corruption and bribery and had been subject to an Interpol “red notice”. Yang Xiuzhu, who is described as China’s “most wanted fugitive”, embezzled up to $40 million (255 million yuan) when she was the deputy mayor of Wenzhou.
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In the past U.S. officials have asked for more evidence from the Chinese government before helping to track down those wanted under Sky Net, says the BBC’s Celia Hatton in Beijing.
