Smuggling suspect's armored car auctioned in Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images)
The most wanted fugitive in China is set to return after 13 years. Yang Xiuzhu has given up her fight to attain political amnesty in the U.S.
According to a report by World Journal, Yang would like to get better medical treatment in China. She is now held at the Houston Immigration Detention Center.
Yang's lawyer filed for termination of her political asylum. Her lawyer expects to that Yang can return to China in August.
She has been in the U.S. for the past 13 years because she has been avoiding a red notice from the Interpol. In 2003, she was accused of committing economic sabotage and was placed in the top 100 economic fugitives in the country.
She was former deputy head of the Construction Bureau in Zheijang Province and the head of the Office of Urbanization. She was also Wenzhou vice mayor from 1995 to 1998.
When her bother, Yang Guangrong, was arrested for taking bribes, she flew to the U.S. Nonetheless, it was discovered that she took 250 million yuan in bribes. Only 42.4 million yuan was returned.
The sentence for her brother is imprisonment for 16 years and 6 months for getting 180,000 yuan in bribes.
Liao Jinrong, director general of the ministry's International Cooperation Bureau, said, "The United States has become the top destination for Chinese fugitives fleeing the law."
There are about 150 Chinese fugitives escaping conviction. Since there is no extradition treaty between the U.S. and China, the U.S. is reluctant to send these fugitives back.
"We face practical difficulties in getting fugitives who fled to the United States back to face trial due to the lack of an extradition treaty and the complex and lengthy procedures," said Liao.
