The country's most wanted fugitive, Lai Changxing, accused of being the mastermind behind the country's largest smuggling ring, fled to Canada in 1999 and remains there where he is confined to his home.

    Beijing wants to bring him back to face charges of smuggling, bribery and tax evasion. However, Canadian officials have been unwilling to allow Lai's extradition because he could be sentenced to death.

    China has reportedly pledged that Lai won't face capital punishment if he's convicted. A Beijing lawyer, Chen Chuangdong, approved of the move. "The more we limit the use of the death penalty the more life sentences will be handed out," he said. "This is more humane and still ensures that justice is achieved."

    In April this year, China promised to exempt from the death penalty criminal suspects in the extradition treaty between China and Spain. China's legislators say it's a significant step that will help stop corrupt officials from fleeing abroad.

    A survey by the Ministry of Justice in 2005 found that the majority of criminals who were sentenced to life imprisonment actually served 15 to 16 years before being released. Official statistics show that in 2004, only two of the 11 people sentenced to death for economic crimes were executed.

    Shao Daosheng from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says leaders know clearly how corruption threatens the government. "They are certainly aware that the widening gap between the rich and poor, especially when it's exacerbated by corruption and abuse of power, will be a recipe for general social and political dissatisfaction and instability. The government is taking the issue very, very seriously," he said. Enditem