1. Nature of the Center

The G20 Hangzhou Summit was successfully held on September 4-5, 2016. An important outcome of this summit is the establishment of the Research Center on Cooperation Regarding Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery in G20 Member States in China. On September 23, 2016, the Research Center on Cooperation Regarding Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery in G20 Member States held a grand unveiling ceremony at Beijing Normal University. Zhao Hongzhu, Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, unveiled the research center. Responsible persons from relevant units of the central and state organs, officials from the embassies of G20 member countries in China, and senior representatives of relevant international organizations in China also attended the ceremony.

II. Center Organizational Structure

The Research Center, anchored by the Law School and the College for Criminal Law Science at Beijing Normal University, boasts a robust academic team in criminal law, led by the esteemed Professors Huang Feng and Wang Xiumei. It garners intellectual resources from the theoretical and practical domains of G20 nations, specializing in the pursuit of fugitives and the recovery of assets, with the ambition of assembling a team of scholars with a global-caliber. At the helm of the center is Professor Wang Xiumei, a distinguished authority in international criminal law, with Professor Zhang Lei, an expert in fugitive pursuit and asset recovery, serving as the deputy director. The center currently employs 10 full-time researchers and 1 administrative staff member. On December 30, 2016, the center expanded its ranks by appointing 37 domestic part-time researchers, a cohort that includes seasoned practitioners and scholars from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the General Administration of Customs, the People's Bank of China, and various universities and research institutions. Subsequently, on April 28, 2017, the center further broadened its expertise by engaging 42 international part-time researchers hailing from prestigious institutions such as New York University, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Germany. Complementing this team are several returned overseas scholars and postdoctoral fellows who have studied in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, France, the United States, and other countries, and are fluent in English, French, German, Japanese, Russian, among other languages. These individuals are vital to the center's research capabilities, particularly in the realms of country-specific studies and comparative research. Moreover, the center leverages its projects as a conduit to inclusively engage external experts from around the world, thereby enriching its research prowess and ensuring a diverse and comprehensive approach to its scholarly endeavors.

Organizational Structure:

Consultant: Huang Feng

Director: Wang Xiumei

Deputy Directors: Yin Jianfeng, Zhang Lei

Office Director: Zhao Chenguang

Deputy Office Director: Chu Li