O brother where art thou: China in contact with US over extraditing brother of disgraced presidential aide

Beijing yesterday confirmed that the youngest brother of disgraced presidential aide Ling Jihua (令計劃) was hiding in the United States and that it was in talks with the US over Ling’s repatriation.

The confirmation follows a report in the South China Morning Post in September that the repatriation of Ling Wancheng topped the agenda when China’s security chief Meng Jianzhu (孟建柱) visited Washington to prepare for President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) state visit.

Ling Wancheng, a businessman and the youngest brother of Ling, a top aide to former president Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), was reported to have fled to the US in what media described as “an intelligence coup at China’s expense”. The elder Ling has been accused of acquiring state and party secrets.

The information was disclosed yesterday at a press briefing by Liu Jianchao, director of the international cooperation bureau of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Communist Party’s internal watchdog.

“China is handling the matter of Ling Wancheng and is in talks with the US,” Liu said. Liu did not comment on a remark by a reporter that the younger Ling was a US citizen, which if true would complicate any extradition request.

Beijing is yet to disclose details of Ling Wancheng’s suspected crimes, but Liu’s answer was somewhat different from when he was asked about the younger Ling in December.

“This issue is nothing to do with me. I don’t know who is in charge of it,” Liu said then . “But if any Chinese citizen breaks Chinese law, they’ll be investigated.”