SPAIN. CHINA RATIFIES EXTRADITION TREATY WITH SPAIN, NOT TO EXECUTE REPATRIATES

April 29, 2006: China ratified an extradition treaty with Spain, the first such treaty the communist nation has signed with a developed western country, in which Beijing agreed not to execute repatriated criminals.
The treaty, ratified by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, also marks "China's major shift in tactics in bringing fugitive corrupt officials back to justice under its own legal jurisdiction," counsellor with Department of Treaty and Law under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xu Hong said.
"The treaty will help China weave a global extradition net to bring back corrupt officials who have fled abroad, largely seeking asylum in developed countries in Europe and North America," Xu, who was also head of Chinese delegation in China-Spain extradition talks, said. (Sources: www.newkerala.com, 29/04/2006)