Beijing, Washington heighten judicial cooperation

BEIJING - China and the United States have stepped up their efforts on judicial cooperation by exchanging their most current lists of fugitives that have fled to each other's country.

The move signaled a pragmatic shift in the two countries' legal collaboration, while paving the way for President Hu Jintao's upcoming state visit to Washington early next year, Tian Lixiao, chief of the Legal Assistance Office of Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The list from Beijing - which includes information of more than 100 suspects - was handed over to the US during the 8th meeting of China-US Joint Liaison Group (JLG) on law-enforcement cooperation that concluded on Dec 2 in Beijing.