Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Chinese police have seized 88 economic fugitives in an international "fox-hunting" campaign that targets corrupt officials and suspects in economic crimes. The achievements in such manhunt show the prominent improvement of the ability of China's police force to cooperate with its international counterparts.

Due to territorial limitations, international manhunts call for trans-border cooperation, especially in terms of law enforcement. However, there are various difficulties and obstacles.

For instance, cooperation can be hindered because of ideological differences. There are obstacles at the "hard" level such as systematic barriers. The social system, judicial system, channels for criminal judicial assistance and cooperative relations between police will all add difficulties to fugitive hunting.

There are also obstacles at the "soft" level. For example, the credibility of the judiciary and the issue of death sentence will hinder the process of international police cooperation too.

Despite all these obstacles, the international community has reached consensus on enhancing cooperation to fight against trans-border crimes. In spite of ideology and political preferences, each country can easily find common interests facing criminal cases. This has become the internal driving force of international police cooperation.

Countries such as the US, Canada and Australia have all voiced support for China's anti-corruption campaign to assist China's hunt for corrupt officials abroad, because they don't want to bear the infamy of becoming "a paradise for criminals."

In recent years, since China has established a new concept of security, topics such as cooperating to fight against international crimes, dealing with transnational drug smuggling, and cracking down the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism have frequently appeared on the agenda of meetings among leaders.

This year marks the 101st anniversary of the establishment of the International Police Association (IPA). China's joining of the association in 1984 marks the start of the country's cooperation with international police law enforcement. Nowadays, the association has become an important platform for China to cooperate with international police.

As the public security work has entered a new phase, China's Ministry of Public Securityhas set up direct police cooperation with 83 countries and regions. The Chinese police have a presence in the headquarters of the UN and the general secretariat of the IPA.

After the 2011 Mekong River massacre, where 13 Chinese sailors were killed, China initiated a joint group comprising police from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. They not only broke the case and punished the principal foreign criminal, but also established a joint law enforcement mechanism along the Mekong River.

Hunting for fugitives is a vital part of international police cooperation. It is also an extension of China's law enforcement. Raising the ability to cooperate with international police is an important step in constructing international manhunts.

The author is deputy dean of the Department of International Police Law Enforcement, People's Public Security University of China. [email protected]