On November 9, 2024, a high-profile “Symposium on Anti-Corruption Fugitive Recovery and Chinese Style Anti-Corruption Rule of Law Construction” was held in Southwest University of Political Science and Law. The seminar was co-sponsored by the International Criminal Law Branch of the China Society of Criminal Law Studies and Southwest University of Political Science and Law, and co-organized by the Law School of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, the Law School of Beijing Normal University, the School of Discipline Inspection and Supervision of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, and the School of International Law of Southwest University of Political Science and Law. Lawyer Liang Yali, executive director of China Criminal Law Research Society, senior partner of King&Capital Law Firm, and director of King&Capital Criminal Defense Research Center, was invited to participate in the forum and make an exchange speech.
This seminar aims to jointly promote the rule of law process of anti-corruption fugitive recovery and investigation through in-depth international exchanges and cooperation, and to promote the improvement and development of the global anti-corruption governance system. More than 100 people attended the seminar, including officials and experts from international organizations and institutions such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Association of Penal Law, as well as leaders of the Chinese Law Society, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the China Association of Integrity Legal System, experts from renowned colleges and universities at home and abroad, and leaders of the political and legal system, the judiciary, and relevant institutions.
Wang Qijiang, Vice President of the China Law Society; Jia Yu, President of the China Society of Criminal Law Studies, Secretary of the Party Group of the Shanghai Higher People's Court and President of the Shanghai Higher People's Court; Prof. Lin Wei, Vice Chairman of the International Criminal Law Section of the China Society of Criminal Law Studies, Vice Secretary of the Party Group and President of the Southwest University of Political Science and Law; Niu Keqian, Vice President of the Second Criminal Division of the Supreme People's Court; and Li Xiaohong, Senior Official of the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of the Division for Treaty Affairs of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Li Xiaohong, Senior Officer of Corruption and Economic Crime Division, Department of Treaty Affairs, UNODC, Carlos, Vice President of the International Association of Penal Law, and Yuan Qiguo, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the China Association of Integrity and Legal System, delivered opening speeches respectively. The opening ceremony was presided over by Prof. Wang Xiumei, Chairman of the International Criminal Law Section of the Chinese Society for the Study of Criminal Law and Professor of the Law School and Criminal Science Institute of Beijing Normal University.
Participating experts, leaders and guests focused on “anti-corruption fugitive recovery and denial of corruption havens”, “building a fugitive recovery and prevention mechanism as a whole”, “identification and procedural issues of bribery crimes”, “punishing new types of corruption and corruption”, and “the prevention and punishment of new types of corruption and corruption”. Five thematic units, namely, “Punishing New Types of Corruption, Invisible Corruption and Related Corruption Offenses” and “Punishing and Preventing Corruption-Related Money Laundering Offenses”, were discussed and exchanged in depth.
In the second unit, “Building a mechanism for pursuing, preventing and recovering fugitives as a whole”, Li Xiaomin, former vice president of the National Judges College, and Prof. Zhang Lei of the Law School of Beijing Normal University co-moderated the discussion. Liang Yali, executive director of China Criminal Law Research Association, senior partner of King&Capital Law Firm and director of King&Capital Criminal Defense Research Center, made a presentation on the topic of “Talking about China's ‘Skynet’ Operation--Taking the Experience of Punishing Corruption-Related Money Laundering Crimes Inside and Outside the Region as an Entry”.
Mr. Liang Yali interpreted and analyzed the results of China's “Skynet” operation in the past years and its “integrated construction of fugitive tracking, prevention and recovery mechanism”, and pointed out the current situation and hazards of corruption and money laundering crimes in China. In addition, Liang Yali based on China's current anti-money laundering legislation, combined with actual cases of money laundering crime risk prevention was further analyzed.
Liang yali lawyer also from the perspective of comparative law, with the British anti-money laundering legislative reform as an example, analyze our country in the anti-money laundering regulation process can learn from. For example: to further improve its own beneficial ownership registration system, to clarify the definition of beneficial ownership and disclosure standards; to emphasize the rapid development trend of global cashless transactions, through the use of more refined risk assessment tools.
Finally, Mr. Liang Yali put forward a series of suggestions on the regulation of corruption-related money laundering crimes from the aspects of rule of law construction, industry regulation, publicity and education, international cooperation, and regulatory methods. At the same time, it is appealed that the fight against corruption-related money laundering crimes is a long-lasting war, which requires the joint efforts of the government, financial institutions, enterprises and the public, and only through sustained efforts and cooperation can money laundering crimes be effectively curbed, the economic order be protected, and social justice be safeguarded.
The closing ceremony of the seminar was hosted by Prof. Zhang Jixi, Dean of the Law School of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, and Prof. Hu Xingjian, Deputy Dean of the School of Discipline Inspection and Supervision of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, and Prof. Yin Jianfeng, Vice Chairman of the International Penal Law Branch of the China Criminal Law Association and Deputy Dean of the Law School of Beijing Normal University, made concluding remarks. The seminar was closely focused on the theme of anti-corruption fugitive recovery and Chinese-style anti-corruption rule of law construction, especially on the issues of perfecting the mechanism of fugitive recovery, preventing fugitive recovery, combating cross-border money-laundering related to corruption, and deepening the construction of Chinese-style anti-corruption rule of law, etc., and conducted a multi-dimensional and multi-perspective full discussion, which has achieved fruitful results.
