- Title: China congratulates its senior public security official chosen as Interpol head
- Date: 10th November 2016
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (NOVEMBER 10, 2016) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LU KANG WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LU KANG SAYING: "We warmly congratulate Vice Public Security Minister Mr. Meng Hongwei who was chosen by majority as new president at the 85th session of the general assembly of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). In past years, China has conducted sound cooperation with Interpol and its member countries in the field of law enforcement security with a fruitful result. We attach high importance to the important role Interpol played in international law enforcement cooperation and would like to promote global law enforcement security (cooperation). In this field, China is willing to take more responsibilities and make a bigger contribution." MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LU KANG SAYING: "China will continue to fully support the work by Interpol and consistently deepen mutual beneficial assistance with member countries in the field of cracking down cross-border crime, jointly create a secure and sound environment for prosper development of all countries in the world." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
- Embargoed: 25th November 2016 10:09
- Keywords: China Chinese interpol new president
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00157V2TDZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: China sent congratulations to its senior public security official who was chosen as the head of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) on Thursday (November 10).
Global police cooperation agency Interpol elected Meng Hongwei, China's Vice Public Security Minister, as president, state media said, in what could be a boost to Beijing's domestic anti-graft crackdown.
The move hands China another leading spot on an international agency and will likely help facilitate its high-profile efforts to track down Chinese fugitive officials who have fled the country.
Meng was chosen for a four-year term at the agency's 85th members' meeting in Indonesia, the official Xinhua news agency said.
"He is the first Chinese official to take the post," Xinhua said. His predecessor was Mireille Ballestrazzi from France.
China has worked bilaterally with countries around the world, and through the France-based organisation, to chase down Chinese suspects as part of President Xi Jinping's sweeping campaign against corruption.
In 2014, China issued an Interpol "red notice", the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant, for its 100 most-wanted corruption suspects who have fled overseas. It has said it has brought back at least one-third of them so far.
China has been seeking more international cooperation to hunt down suspected fugitives since Xi began the drive against deeply rooted graft about four years ago.
Western countries, however, have been reluctant to help, or to sign extradition treaties, not wanting to send people back to a country where rights groups say mistreatment of criminal suspects remains a problem. They also complain China is unwilling to provide proof of their crimes.
Lu said China would deepen mutual beneficial assistance with Interpol member countries to crack down cross-border crime. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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