BEIJING, (Reuters) – A former senior Chinese official, who went into hiding after being sought by anti-corruption investigators, has applied for asylum in the United States after been detained there, state media said yesterday.
Yang Xiuzhu, a former deputy mayor of Wenzhou in the booming eastern province of Zhejiang, was taken into custody in the United States last month pending her removal to China. China’s official Xinhua news agency said that Yang, at the top of a Chinese list of 100 suspected corrupt people believed to be abroad and subject to an Interpol “red notice”, made the asylum application in a New York court.
Xinhua said its reporter saw Yang dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, with her hair cut short and a “puffy” face. Reuters was not able to contact Yang’s lawyer after office hours in the United States.
The case comes as China pushes for talks with the United States on an extradition treaty, which would be a big boost for China’s anti-corruption campaign.
