TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Corruption convictions nearly double in China over last year

News Desk (Reuters)
Beijing, China
Tue, May 26, 2020

Share This Article

Change Size

Corruption convictions nearly double in China over last year 			The Chinese national flag is seen at the entrance to the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing on May 18, 2020. The number of convictions related to corruption in China nearly doubled last year, according to a report by Beijing's top prosecutor, as President Xi Jinping ramped up his crackdown on graft. (AFP/Nicolas Asfouri )

T

he number of convictions related to corruption in China nearly doubled last year, according to a report by Beijing's top prosecutor, as President Xi Jinping ramped up his crackdown on graft.

According to the annual report from the Supreme People's Procuratorate submitted to the national parliament, 18,585 people were prosecuted for crimes related to corruption in 2019, a 90 percent year-on-year increase.

Sixteen cases involved former provincial or ministerial-level Communist Party cadres, including former Yunnan party chief Qin Guangrong, who was accused of taking bribes.

The latest high-profile targets of the anti-corruption campaign include former shipbuilding executive Hu Wenming and ex-deputy national security minister Sun Lijun, who were both placed under investigation for "serious violations of discipline and the law" in May and April respectively.

Last year also saw a 50 percent rise in the number of cases involving Communist Party members transferred to prosecutors for investigation, according to the report, which was discussed Monday afternoon.

China is holding its delayed annual National People's Congress this year, but with much stricter controls on access and many sessions closed to the media due to the coronavirus outbreak.

A total of 25,000 trials involving corruption, malfeasance and bribery were concluded last year, which led to 29,000 people being convicted, according to the Supreme People's Court work report released Monday. 

More than a million officials have been punished under the anti-corruption campaign so far, which has been a cornerstone of Xi's seven-year tenure.

Critics have accused the campaign of targeting Xi's political enemies. 

The Supreme People's Court also reported that there were 22 trials under the controversial martyrs' law, which criminalizes all insults to Communist heroes.

Several internet users and even an online comic platform have been punished since the law was introduced in 2018.

There was also a notable increase in the number of prosecutions last year for cyber crime and intellectual property infringement, at 33 and 32 percent respectively.

The report also said that more than 2,500 people were prosecuted for coronavirus-related criminal offences between February and April this year.

 

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.