China's most famous fugitive has spoken publicly for the first time about his relationship with a senior member of the Chinese politburo, Jia Qinglin, a controversial figure whose family has long fended off corruption allegations.

The fugitive, Lai Changxing, is fighting extradition from exile in Canada where he fled in 1999 after being accused of being the mastermind of a billion-dollar smuggling and graft racket in Fujian province.