Hong Kong first target of China's new pursuit of corrupt officials

China's top legal supervisory body will launch a six-month campaign targeting suspects of corruption who have fled overseas, Xinhua reported.

The campaign, announced on Friday by the Supreme People's Procuratorate - the nation's top prosecutor - will focus on investigations and establishing methods to bring suspects home, including extradition, repatriation and persuasion.

"The authority of the law must be resolutely upheld and crimes must be strongly [enforced] and deterred," it said.

The announcement also said prosecutors should work closely with other departments, including police and the central bank, to apprehend fugitives.

A source with knowledge of the campaign said Hong Kong would be the first target, followed by North America, Europe, Australia, Singapore and other nations in Southeast Asia.

According to a report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, almost 20,000 officials fled overseas between 1995 and 2008 with assets totalling 800 billion yuan (HK$1 trillion). In 2011 alone, officials believe more than 1,500 fugitives left the country with nearly 8 billion yuan.