The case

Chinese police recently repatriated a US national who was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice. According to reports, the man, Daniel Hills, fled in 2004 after allegedly shooting his wife and sexually assaulting a young girl in the United States, and was at one time listed as a major wanted fugitive. The same year he entered China under the alias “David Williams” and worked as an English teacher at a university in Shanghai for more than ten years without his identity being discovered. In 2018 a former student recognised and reported him. Public information on the case after that is limited, until the Ministry of Public Security recently announced that Chinese police had lawfully repatriated him to the US.

“Red Notice”, “extradition” and “repatriation”: three different legal concepts

Red Notice

An international alert issued by Interpol. It is essentially a cooperation notice among member countries and has no binding arrest power in itself; whether and how to cooperate depends on the domestic law and enforcement arrangements of the country where the person is.

Extradition

A judicial procedure in which one state formally surrenders a person suspected or convicted of a crime to the requesting state for trial or punishment, on the basis of a bilateral or multilateral extradition treaty. To date, there is no bilateral extradition treaty between China and the United States.

Repatriation / deportation

Without an extradition treaty, the two countries’ law-enforcement agencies can hand over a person through police cooperation and diplomatic coordination, as an administrative or case-specific arrangement. Such repatriation is a “case-by-case” matter; it does not create a general legal precedent and is not extradition in the legal sense.

A practical reminder for ordinary people

Foreign nationals working in China in teaching, business and other roles may appear respectable, but their real background is not necessarily what it seems. Before an international relationship or business partnership, verifying the other person’s identity, work qualifications (such as a Foreigner’s Work Permit) and any adverse record through lawful channels is a necessary risk-prevention step.

How Wang Xin’s team can help

  • Advice on foreign-related identity and background checks
  • Employment compliance and rights protection for foreigners in China
  • Foreign-related criminal cases
  • Legal matters involving cross-border police cooperation

For questions about foreign-related identity verification or cross-border cooperation, contact Wang Xin: phone +86 186-0113-9509, WeChat wang223040.

Quick answers

Is there an extradition treaty between China and the United States?
No. There is currently no bilateral extradition treaty between China and the US. Handovers happen through police cooperation and diplomatic coordination on a case-by-case basis.
Does an Interpol Red Notice require China to arrest someone?
No. A Red Notice is an international cooperation alert among member countries and has no binding arrest power by itself; whether and how to act depends on the domestic law of the country where the person is.
What is the difference between extradition and repatriation?
Extradition is a formal judicial transfer under a treaty for trial or punishment. Repatriation or deportation without a treaty is an administrative or case-specific handover through police and diplomatic channels and does not set a general legal precedent.

This is an English edition of Wang Xin’s original Chinese article, 美国通缉犯在中国当外教隐居14年：红通、引渡与遣返有什么区别？. It explains the law of the People’s Republic of China in general terms and is not legal advice for any particular case; outcomes depend on the specific facts and on how local authorities apply the rules.