Top Chinese police official chosen as Interpol head
Election of Meng Hongwei could help China in its hunt for corrupt fugitive cadres but raises fears of abuse in pursuit of dissidents, observers say
A top Chinese public security official was elected president of the international police cooperation organisation Interpol on Thursday, a move observers said could boost China’s efforts to repatriate fugitive corrupt officials.
But human rights watchers voiced concern that China could use the world’s biggest law enforcement agency to its advantage to pursue dissidents abroad.
Meng Hongwei, a vice-minister for public security, was chosen to head the agency at its general assembly in Bali, Indonesia.
Meng, 63, the first Chinese to hold the post, has headed Interpol’s National Central Bureau for China since he became a deputy public security minister in 2004.
Observers said Meng’s election could help Beijing in its high-profile pursuit of corrupt, fugitive officials, an effort stepped up in recent years as part of President Xi Jinping’s unprecedented crackdown on corruption.
Since China launched the international manhunt “Operation Fox Hunt” in 2014, more than 2,000 economic fugitives have been brought back to China, including 342 former officials.