Countries should not harbor fugitives: China Daily editorial

Described by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States as "victims" of harassment from the "secret Chinese agents", many will probably want to know who Xu Jin and Liu Fang are.

The charges against the "secret Chinese agents" who have been arrested pulls the wool over the eyes of the world about what China has been doing in apprehending corrupt elements who have fled to foreign countries with the dirty wealth they have grabbed through abuse of power.

Knowledge about what Xu and Liu did in lining their pockets through abuse of power sheds light on the necessity for cooperation between China's law enforcers and their foreign counterparts to apprehend corrupt elements and belies the US' accusations against China in this regard.

Xu and his wife Liu are both on China's wanted list and Interpol has issued Red Notices that they are wanted fugitives. Xu used to be the director of the Wuhan Municipal Development and Reform Commission in Central China's Hubei province. His wife Liu was deputy director of the Hubei branch of China Life Insurance Co. They fled to the US in May, 2011. The investigations into the couple began separately in November 2011 and February, 2012 and they were placed on the Red Notices of Interpol on July 5, 2012.

Xu was wanted on the charge that he embezzled 198 million yuan ($30.15 million) through abuse of power in selling State-owned land from 2006 to 2009, and he along with his wife were also charged with receiving bribes totaling millions of dollars. The couple had transferred much of the dirty money outside the country.

China provided the relevant information and evidence about the crimes the couple had committed in the country and the money they had transferred and asked the US for judicial assistance to further investigate them.

To China's disappointment, the US failed to provide any substantial help. Instead, China's Fox Hunt was claimed to be an action against "political rivals".

Political differences between the two countries do not justify the US judicial department's lies that China did not notify it about the case and ask for assistance.

Whatever differences the two countries have constitute no reason for the US to protect economic criminals from being brought to justice.

Of the 40 Chinese most wanted on the Interpol Red Notices at large, 20 are hiding in the US. The US needs to think twice before taking them as China's "political rivals" and providing them with political shelter.