Eleven suspects wanted for embezzlement were extradited from overseas last year and 77.2 million yuan (about US$9.9 million) was retrieved, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

The Procuratorate's latest statistics also show another 1,670 suspects wanted for economic crimes were arrested within the country last year.

The achievement was made through the Procuratorate's cooperation with relevant government organizations and overseas judicial and procuratorial departments, says the Procuratorate.

So far, the Supreme People's Procuratorate has signed 83 cooperation deals and memorandums with 75 overseas judicial and procuratorial departments, Legal Daily quoted the Procuratorate as saying.

The suspects, most of whom are from the financial sector or state owned enterprises (SOEs), used overseas business connections to flee the country, the Supreme People's Procuratorate says. The procuratorate says, North America, Australia, and Southeast Asia are preferred destinations for corrupted officials.

A recent survey of 42 corrupt officials conducted by an anti-graft research group showed half of the corrupt officials who flee China to escape prosecution are heads of SOEs.

Hu Xingdou, professor of Beijing Institute of Technology, said improved supervision within enterprises and government departments could prevent corruption.

"Personnel in charge of discipline and supervision are usually lower in rank so they are unable to monitor the top official's power," Hu said.

By May 2006, there were 800 suspects at large overseas who are wanted for economic crimes. They are accused of embezzling nearly 70 billion yuan (US$875 million), according to the Ministry of Public Security.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2007)