China
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- communist state
- CONSTITUTION
- December 4, 1982, amended several times, last in 2004.
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on civil law, of Soviet derivation and derived from the legal principles of the continental civil code
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral, National People's Congress (Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme People's Court, judges appointed by the National People's Congress; local people's courts and special people's courts
RELIGIONS
Buddhists 18.2%, Christians 5.1%, Muslims 1.8%, others 0.7%, unspecified 52.2%
From the country
AUGUST 11, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTYChina: Former Nanjing senior official sentenced to death with reprieve
JULY 6, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINESE COURT HANDS FORMER LOCAL OFFICIAL RARE DEATH SENTENCE IN $324 MILLION GRAFT CASE
APRIL 22, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FORMER VILLAGE HEAD SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 21 CRIMES
Huang Dafa, a former village head and businessman in Hubei province, was sentenced to death on 21 charges,
- APRIL 6, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA EXECUTES FRENCH NATIONAL CONVICTED IN 2010 FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A Frenchman sentenced to death in China in 2010 for drug trafficking has been executed, France's foreign ministry announced on April 4, 2026.
APRIL 1, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FORMER DATANG EXECUTIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH WITH REPRIEVE
A former senior executive at major Chinese state-owned power company Datang Group on April 1st, 2026 was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over corruption-related charges, according to state media reports.
- MARCH 29, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTY
FORMER CHAIRMAN OF CHINA AVIATION CONGLOMERATE HANDED DEATH SENTENCE WITH REPRIEVE
Tan Ruisong, former board chairman of Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd., was on March 25, 2026 sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for graft.
MARCH 24, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN IN CHILD TRAFFICKING CASE
A man convicted of child trafficking has had his death sentence with a two-year reprieve upheld by a higher court in Shandong province, with the ruling taking effect immediately.
MARCH 3, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: FORMER HAIKOU PARTY CHIEF GETS DEATH SENTENCE WITH REPRIEVE
Luo Zengbin, former Party chief of Haikou, the capital city of South China's Hainan province, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a court in the province on February 28, 2026 for taking bribes worth hundreds of millions of yuan.
- FEBRUARY 26, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINESE COURTS CONCLUDE TRIALS OF TWO CRIMINAL GANGS FROM NORTHERN MYANMAR, 16 SENTENCED TO DEATH
Chinese courts have concluded the trials of two major criminal groups based in northern Myanmar involved in telecom and online fraud, the Supreme People's Court said on February 26, 2026.
- FEBRUARY 16, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINESE COURT ANNOUNCES 1ST-INSTANCE TRIAL VERDICT OF MYANMAR-BASED XU FAQI CRIMINAL GANG; XU SENTENCED TO DEATH WITH TWO-YEAR REPRIEVE
A court in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on January 30, 2026 publicly announced the first-instance
- FEBRUARY 12, 2026CanadaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCE FOR CANADIAN ROBERT SCHELLENBERG
China's Supreme People's Court on February 6, 2026 overturned the death sentence for accused Canadian drug smuggler Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian official told CBC News.
- FEBRUARY 2, 2026ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA EXECUTES FOUR MORE MYANMAR MAFIA MEMBERS
China has executed four members of the Bai family mafia, one of the notorious dynasties that ran scam centres in Myanmar, authorities said on February 2, 2026.