China reviews draft law to combat cross-border corruption

China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, has begun its first review of a draft law aimed at combating cross-border corruption. The proposed legislation is designed to strengthen the country’s ability to pursue, repatriate, and convict officials accused of graft who have fled abroad.

The move follows a directive from the Communist Party to enhance international anti-corruption cooperation. Since the launch of ‘Operation Sky Net’ in 2015, Chinese authorities claim to have repatriated over 3,000 officials from approximately 120 countries, recovering an estimated $10 billion in illicit proceeds.

In addition to the anti-corruption bill, lawmakers are reviewing several other legislative drafts, including revisions to the Road Traffic Safety Law, a draft healthcare security law focusing on long-term care insurance, and updates to the Agriculture Law and National Defense Mobilization Law.