Chinese agents are prevented by law from making arrests on foreign soil, and Beijing does not have an extradition treaty with Washington.
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The Obama administration has warned China about the use of undercover operatives in the United States who are assigned to pressure Chinese fugitives to return home and in some cases to recover assets gained through alleged corruption, U.S. officials said.
Their tactics reportedly include threats to family members who remain in China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to make his first state visit to the United States next month as the countries seek to resolve tensions over such issues as trade, human rights and hacking.
The newspaper quoted unnamed US officials as saying that “the American warning, which was delivered to Chinese officials in recent weeks and demanded a halt to the activities, reflects escalating anger in Washington about intimidation tactics used by the agents”.
More than 930 suspects around the world have been repatriated to China since last year under the programme, the newspaper said, citing the Ministry of Public Security. In the years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Central Intelligence Agency dispatched teams overseas to snatch Qaeda suspects and spirit them either to secret Central Intelligence Agency prisons or hand them over to other governments for interrogation.
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that China had requested for the US to return Ling Wancheng, a politically connected businessman who is believed to be in possession of “embarrassing” information about Chinese officials. Mark Raimondi, a Justice Department spokesman, told the Times that Chinese agents are required to give evidence to the department before U.S. law enforcement could act.
Some of the individuals being hunted were wanted on economic corruption charges while others were suspected of political crimes by Beijing.
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US officials declined to provide specific evidence of the activities of the agents, and they discussed details of the operation only on the condition of anonymity because of the tense diplomacy surrounding the issue.
