Cambodia says it will not extradite French national to China

Cambodian officials said that while they detained French national Patrick Devillers on China’s request, they will not extradite him to Beijing before further evidence of wrongdoing is provided, The Wall Street Journal reported. “The decision has been made. We have decided to keep him here,” said Hor Namhong, the country’s foreign minister, on Thursday night. Devillers, an architect, is said to be linked to Bo Xilai, the disgraced former Politburo member and party secretary of Chongqing, as well as Bo’s wife. China requested Devillers’ detention in connection with the murder last year of Neil Heywood, a British businessman with close ties to the Bo family. Cambodia is one of China’s closest allies in Southeast Asia; China has furnished the country with millions of dollars of aid over recent years.