Yang Xiuzhu

Yang Xiuzhu (; born September 15, 1946 ) is a former Chinese female politician whose career ended after she was charged with corruption and expelled from the Chinese Communist Party. Yang served as Deputy Mayor of Wenzhou from 1995 to 1998 and deputy director of Zhejiang Construction Department from 1998 to 2003. After being charged with corruption, Yang evaded Chinese authorities and fled overseas in 2003. She had lived in many places, including Hong Kong, Singapore, France, the Netherlands, Italy and the United States, to avoid punishment. On November 16, 2016, Yang was deported to China and surrendered to Chinese authorities, and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment in October. She was described by several media outlets as "China's most wanted fugitive"

Early life and political career Yang was born in Wenzhou, Zhejiang on September 15, 1946. She was graduated from Yuying Primary School . Later she studied in Middle School Department of Wenzhou Second High School, and she dropped out in 1960. In 1961, she became a waitress to start selling Baozi in grain store. During Cultural Revolution, she joined a rebel organization until the revolution is ended.

She was elected as the deputy director of Women's Federation of Wenzhou in 1977, and upgraded to the Deputy District Governor of Xicheng District of Wenzhou (now merged into Lucheng District) in 1981. In 1984, Yang was appointed as deputy director of City Construction Bureau of Wenzhou and Director of Planning of Wenzhou in 1989. In 1993 she appointed as the Assistant of Mayor of Wenzhou, and Deputy commander of Jinhua–Wenzhou Railway. Yang was appointed as Deputy Mayor of Wenzhou and deputy director of Zhejiang Construction Department in 1998. According to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, she stood accused of embezzling 250 million yuan ($36.3 million). Later, Yang was detained in the correctional facility of Hudson County, New Jersey, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On September 28, 2014, Xinhua News Agency reported that Yang's extradition has been initiated. In July 2016, she cancelled her political asylum application and decided to accept the punishment from Chinese law enforcement "unconditionally".

Yang's driver, Yang Shenghua, had also been convicted of corruption in 2003 and fled to Germany. Yang Shenghua was the former husband of Hu Jie, the current wife of comedian Zhou Libo. Yang's brother, Yang Shenghua, was reprimanded in connection to her corruption case. Over one hundred officials linked to her network were investigated.

Deport and trial On November 16, 2016, Yang Xiuzhu took an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Beijing, and she was arrested upon her arrival. After arresting, she was going through immigration, escorted by two guards. She is the 37th fugitive that has returned after the fugitive list releasing. She was sentenced to 8 years' imprisonment by Hangzhou Intermediate Court, for bribery and corruption on October 13, 2017.