Bilateral talks to counter corruption a 'bright spot' China-US relations

Despite rising Sino-US tensions in the South China Sea, the two countries could be moving closer on other important issues, notably the repatriation of corruption suspects, the Communist Party's anti-graft watchdog said.

An article published on Wednesday on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said a top-level meeting of the two nations on efforts to counter corruption was hailed by the US team leader.

Bruce Ohr, chief of the organised crime and racketeering section at the US Department of Justice, described the latest meeting of an anti-corruption working group as "a bright spot in US-China relations", according to the CCDI.

"Corruption is the most evil thing for any country in the world," Ohr was quoted as saying. "In a connected world, different countries should step up cooperation and fight cross-border crime."

The article was published on the CCDI's website one week after the 10th China-US joint liaison group's anti-corruption working group meeting but just a day after the US missile destroyer USS Lassen was dispatched to challenge Beijing's sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, raising concerns that the naval confrontation would have serious repercussions on other aspects of Sino-US relations.