UN Convention to Back China on Corrupt Fugitives, Money Laundering

Home>>China

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 28, 2003

UN Convention to Back China on Corrupt Fugitives, Money Laundering

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

China will be able to resort to the United Nations (UN) Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime in launching fiercer crackdowns upon absconded corrupt officials, money laundering and other cross-border crimes, according to sources from China's top legislature on Wednesday.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC)formally ratified the convention in its fourth meeting here Wednesday, signifying an important move by China to promote global cooperation in combating transnational organized crime.

Passed at the 55th United Nations General Assembly on Nov. 15, 2000, the convention is due to take effect on Sept. 29 this year. The Chinese government signed the convention Dec. 12, 2000.

The convention makes specific stipulations about four types of crimes, namely participating in organized criminal groups, money laundering, corruption and obstructing justice.

However, jurists note that the prescriptions about corruption and money laundering in the convention cover wider scopes and use stricter criteria than those in China's related laws currently in force.

"The convention makes more stringent stipulations on corruption, listing the acceptance of improper benefits also as malversation, in addition to offering or taking bribes in the way China's criminal law stipulates," said Jiang Enzhu, a member of the NPC Standing Committee.

The convention also proposes that signatory countries punish foreign government officials and international civil servants who have committed bribery.

In the Chinese criminal law, crimes connected with money laundering only include four types, namely, drug trafficking, Mafia-like crimes, terrorism and smuggling. But the convention specifies a wider range of crimes, with illicit gains likely to beinvolved in money laundering, said Shen Chunyao, also a member of the NPC Standing Committee.

Meanwhile, the convention also suggests that signatory countries define a longer statute of limitations for prosecution for all crimes in their laws, and prolong the limitation when charged suspects are at large.

Jurists believe that the signing of the convention will provide solid legal ground for the Chinese police to further pursue absconded criminals, as China has seen an increasing number of corrupt official flee abroad with huge sums of illegal money in recent years.

"China still needs to improve its laws to be better adapted to the convention and to serve the needs of fighting transnational crimes more effectively," said Yang Guoliang, another member of the NPC Standing Committee.

Wang Yingfan, a former Chinese ambassador to the U.N., said that the convention would not be at odds with Chinese laws, despite small disparities in some aspects. In addition, the convention leaves enough room for different countries to handle cases in accordance with their own laws.

The UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime also highlights cooperation in law enforcement and professional police training, cross-national technical assistance and exchanges of intelligence information.

China has always attached great importance to global cooperation in combating transnational crimes. The China-ASEAN Workshop on Law Enforcement Cooperation against Transnational Crimes, which was held in Beijing Aug. 25-27, is aimed to promote a sound regional cooperative law-enforcement mechanism.

"Such symposiums will promote the mutual understanding of the law-enforcement forces of China and other countries, and help increase their cooperation," said Meng Hongwei, assistant to the Chinese minister of public security.

The State Council, China' cabinet, has evaluated the convention as conformable to the country's benefits in a bill applying it for the NPC's approval.

Currently, more than 140 countries worldwide have signed the convention, and some 40 of them have ratified it, according to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Capital Flight: Capture of Corrupt Officials a Long Drive

Martin Luther King's Dream Hard to Be Fulfilled ( 23 Messages)

China's Economy Faces Stiff Challenges: Minister ( 3 Messages)

China's 150 million mu Forests Plagued by Exotic Pests ( 3 Messages)

Is a Good Husband Worth More Than a Good Job? ( 2 Messages)

Poll Shows More Americans Wouldn't Vote for Bush ( 15 Messages)