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The "Skynet operation 2021" brought back 1,273 fugitives, including 22 with Interpol Red Notice and 318 suspects under investigation, with 16.74 billion yuan ($2.64 billion) in illicit assets recovered, China's anti-graft agencies announced on Thursday.

Among all fugitives brought back from overseas, 22 had an Interpol Red Notice, which is an international listing of wanted criminals, said the report on the work of the sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The "Skynet operation 2021" was officially launched on February 24, 2021, and was accompanied by a special campaign on international fugitives and asset recovery for duty-related crimes led by the national discipline inspection and supervision organs nationwide.

The cases of fugitives with political ties and strong public resentment accused of duty-related crimes are the focus of the special campaign. In March 2021, four working groups were dispatched by the central anti-graft agencies around the country to investigate and supervise key cases, especially the 40 fugitives with Interpol Red Notice who had not been arrested yet.

Responsible Chinese authorities at all levels have intensified international cooperation to fight corruption, making unremitting efforts to track down fugitives and recover stolen assets, and actively participated in global anti-corruption governance, said the report.

Xu Guojun, former head of the Kaiping sub-branch of the Bank of China and one of the most wanted fugitives with Interpol Red Notice, was forcibly repatriated to China from the US after 20 years on the run with collaboration of multiple parties.

The report also makes clear that the "Skynet operation" will be intensified, cross-border anti-corruption cooperation will be strengthened, and foreign-related anti-corruption laws will be further established.

The report mentioned that China will contribute to the further implementation of the Global Network for Anti-corruption Law Enforcement Cooperation, by adhering to the "Four Propositions" for international cooperation against corruption put forward at the UN General Assembly Special Session on Anti-corruption.