In his first speech as the leader of China, President Xi Jinping identified corruption as a major priority. There would, he said, be no leniency over a problem that was not just a threat to the country's economic development but the very existence of Communist Party rule. Mr Xi was
Editorial: Tricky China request needs one proviso
Subscribe to listen
China's President Xi Jinping. Photo / AP
Secondly, New Zealand should insist that anyone deemed worthy of extradition to China does not face the death penalty. There is a precedent in this. Five years ago, Zhen Xiao, a Chinese citizen, left this country soon after killing Hiren Mohini, a tax driver, in Mt Eden. Chinese authorities arrested him six months later and insisted that he was tried in Shanghai. While criminal proceedings usually take place in the country where the crime is committed, New Zealand agreed because of the absence of an extradition treaty. Its one proviso was that Zhen would not suffer the death penalty. Eventually, he was imprisoned for 15 years.
Other countries have rejected Chinese demands for extradition on the same grounds. The United States, for example, refused to return the Falun Gong leader Li Hongzhi. New Zealand has no reason, therefore, to be backward in demanding that an extradition treaty rules out the death penalty. Human rights demand as much.
All this is not to say that Mr Xi's crusade against corruption is not welcome. New Zealand companies operating in China will be among the beneficiaries. But this country should not be condemning any of its residents to the prospect of a lethal injection.