A Comparative Analysis of the United States's Response to Extradition Requests from China

Abstract

Since the late 1970s, China has undertaken a process of opening up to the world and engaging in economic reform. This process has brought increased opportunities for Western nations to cooperate with China. Predictably, efforts to cooperate also have given rise to new challenges, as Chinese and Western cultures and systems often conflict. Extradition, which is an important component of transnational criminal law enforcement, presents one area in which cooperation with the Chinese was not previously available, but now can provide important benefits. The United States and its allies are dedicated to combating international terrorism, and they are negotiating mutual legal assistance and extradition treaties "at an increasingly vigorous pace" in order to facilitate the return of suspected terrorists for prosecution.