Yang Xiuzhu is accused of embezzling more than $40m (£26m) when working as a public official.
Ms Yang, 70, was detained in the United States in 2014 after she tried to enter the country using a fake Dutch passport.
She is a high-profile target in Chinese President Xi Jinping's crackdown on corruption.
Ms Yang handed herself over to Chinese authorities, according to China's government watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.