Comments to a Friend on Prospects for an Extradition Treaty Between Canada and China

Yes. I absolutely agree. It is a bit of a long shot, but I think we have to try and work with the Chinese authorities on this. Everybody agrees that Chinese people who have committed serious crimes should not "get away with it" by simply landing in Canada. It is primarily about how to bring the Chinese judicial system up to international standards, but that would mean the judiciary would have to be truly independent of the Party. But that one is already evidently ruled out as an option for the next Party Congress. But I think independence of the judiciary has to come to pass in China sooner or later. Primarily due to domestic reasons, but the international factor is also of increasing importance as it will get easier and easier for Chinese people to travel abroad so more and more embezzlers and gangsters will be able to flee Chinese justice by getting on a 'plane to Canada or other like-minded countries. As the Lai Changxing case demonstrates, Canada really has trouble expelling these people to face trial in China under current conditions.