China Says to Look at Corrupt Asset Seizures With United States

Beijing: China and the United States will look at the mutual recognition and enforcement of seizure orders for dirty assets which have been taken abroad by corruption suspects, China's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday after a presidential summit.

A perceived lack of cooperation from the United States at the Chinese government's corruption crackdown has been an irritant in ties between the world's two largest economies.

China does not have extradition treaties with the United States or Canada, the two most popular destinations for suspected economic criminals.

Western countries have baulked at signing extradition deals with China, partly out of concern about the integrity of its judicial system and treatment of prisoners. Rights groups say Chinese authorities use torture and that the death penalty is common in corruption cases.

China and the United States would push forward with the handling of agreed upon "important corruption cases, the ministry said in a statement released after the meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama.

Cooperation would focus on evidence exchanges, looking for suspects' assets, deportation of corruption suspects and illegal immigrants and other areas, the foreign ministry said.

"On the issue of recovering dirty assets, both sides agreed to exchange views on the mutual recognition and enforcement of confiscation judgments," it said.

The statement did not mention any details or specific cases.

The United States has deported two corruption suspects back to China in the past week, one of them on a list of 100 wanted corruption suspects published by China in April.

Xi Jinping has launched a sweeping campaign against deep-rooted graft since taking over the Communist Party's leadership in late 2012 and the presidency in 2013. Dozens of senior officials have been investigated or jailed.