Chinese police to extradite second fugitive from France: state media

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police will extradite two fugitives from France in the second repatriation since the two countries signed an extradition treaty that came into effect in 2015, state media reported on Wednesday.

Two Chinese suspects, both private businesswomen, "are accused of fraud and using illegal means to raise funds," the official China Daily said, citing an unnamed official from the Ministry of Public Security.

The suspects are expected to be sent back after China negotiates an agreement with France over sharing their assets, the newspaper said. One fugitive is a businesswoman named Feng Jinfang, while the other one was unnamed in the article.

The newspaper did not state how much the two women's assets are worth.

China has asked the French authorities to help with the extradition and says it will serve as an example for other cases in Western countries, according to the official.

Chinese police repatriated a fugitive surnamed Chen from France in September, the first case since the extradition treaty came into effect. Chen was accused of taking public funds of more than 20 million yuan ($2.95 million) without authorization.

China has been pushing for increased international cooperation in its campaign to track down and repatriate corrupt officials and other citizens who moved assets overseas, often to avoid being caught in President Xi Jinping's war against graft that began when he took office almost four years ago.

Western countries besides France have so far proved reluctant to sign extradition treaties with China as rights groups say that the country does not meet international standards for the just treatment of criminals and often provides inadequate proof for crimes when sentencing.

($1 = 6.7700 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by the Beijing Newsroom and Sue-Lin Wong; Editing by Michael Perry)

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