The Foreign Ministry has told China Daily that the country's anti-corruption operations overseas abide by local laws and should be viewed objectively, as a US media report on Sunday questioned the "Fox Hunt", China's global manhunt for corrupt officials and economic criminal suspects.

The New York Times story quoted unnamed US officials as saying that some Chinese law-enforcement staff are "operating secretly" in the US to pressure prominent expatriates to return home, and "most likely are entering on tourist or trade visas".

The Spokesperson's Office of Foreign Ministry said in a written reply to China Daily on Wednesday that "strengthening cooperation on anticorruption and seeking fugitives and ill-gotten assets has been among the important consensus made by leaders of all countries during the APEC and G20 Summits."

"China attaches great importance to proactively implementing the consensus, and has embarked on a range of effective cooperation with governments and law enforcement departments of various countries on the basis of abiding with the countries' laws," the office said.

"It is hoped that the relevant party would take an objective view over China's efforts in conducting cooperation on anticorruption and seeking fugitives and ill-gotten assets," the office said.