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Operation Fox Hunt: how a US court case shed light on China’s pursuit of its fugitives
- Two Chinese nationals and an American were found guilty of stalking a wanted former official from the central city of Wuhan
- The trial highlighted some of the excesses of Beijing’s decade-long effort to repatriate people accused of corruption, analyst says
Reading Time:4 minutes
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Yuanyue Dangin Beijing
The three-week trial was the first of its kind and brought the process out into the open.
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In a US federal court in Brooklyn, prosecutors and witnesses laid out the case against Chinese nationals Zhu Yong and Zheng Congying and private investigator Michael McMahon.
The men were accused – and found guilty – of stalking a family in New Jersey on behalf of the Chinese government.
Their main target was Xu Jin, a former Chinese official wanted in China on suspicion of bribery and abuse of power, and one of thousands pursued as part of “Operation Fox Hunt”, Beijing’s massive campaign to chase down fugitives abroad.
The campaign is nearly a decade old but it is only really until now – in the US court – that the methods behind it have come to light.
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Some observers say the court decision will have little impact on relations between China and the United States, given their already poor state. But one legal expert says the decision exposes the excesses of the operation and the need for China to both use legal means and be mindful of sovereignty issues when repatriating fugitives abroad.
02:05
Trial begins for 3 suspected Chinese agents accused of harassing US-based fugitive
Trial begins for 3 suspected Chinese agents accused of harassing US-based fugitive
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