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US Should Return Criminal Suspect to China, Says Chinese Embassy
A Chinese embassy spokesman Thursday demanded the repatriation of a Chinese criminal suspect seeking asylum in the United States to face justice in China.
Zhang Hongbao "is a criminal suspect and a fugitive on China's most-wanted list," said spokesman Zhang Yuanyuan, noting that the suspect is wanted on multiple counts of rape and manslaughter.
In addition, Zhang Hongbao was charged with counterfeiting government documents, illegal entry of foreign countries, unlawful incarceration, intentional injury, and organizing training for terrorist activities, according to Chinese police investigation based on citizen's reports.
Zhang Hongbao fled the country and entered the United States illegally in January 2000. He was caught as an illegal alien and placed in custody under US law and rules.
Zhang Yuanyuan told reporters that the Chinese judicial authorities have provided the US side with a large amount of evidence pointing to Zhang's guilt of crimes and offense he committed against Chinese citizens.
In accordance with international law and general practice, said Zhang Yuanyuan, the U.S. side should have returned him to face justice in China. However, on September 20 last year the United States granted Zhang Hongbao protection from torture status.
"Such acts of the U.S. side have made a mockery of the U.S. justice system, in that it allows a hardened felony who has committed heinous crimes against Chinese citizens to go unpunished, " the spokesman said, emphasizing that China is going after Zhang Hongbao because he is a criminal suspect, not because he was a leader of a banned large Qigong organization, Zhonggong.
"This has nothing to do with Zhonggong," said Zhang Yuanyuan, " Zhang Hongbao himself said and wrote in something like an affidavit that he has long since disassociated himself from Zhonggong."
Zhang Yuanyuan said it is absurd to call China's legal action against Zhang Hongbao persecution effort against religious or spiritual leaders.
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