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
- APRIL 18, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH WITH REPRIEVE OVER NANHAI LOAN FRAUD CASE
in its initial trial, the Foshan Intermediate People's Court, sentenced Lin Yuhang, former president of the Industrial and Commercial Bank, Nanhai Sub-branch, to death with reprieve and six others to sentences ranging from 12 years imprisonment to life.
- APRIL 14, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
NORTH KOREA. COUNTRY MUST COOPERATE TO IMPROVE 'ABYSMAL' RECORD, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged North Korea to cooperate with the UN to improve its "abysmal" human rights record and called on China to stop sending refugees back to the Stalinist country.
- APRIL 13, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. COURT BANS EXTORTED EVIDENCE
a Chinese court ruled evidence obtained through police torture and threats as inadmissible.
- APRIL 12, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. COUNTRY ACCUSED OF CRUSHING CAMPAIGN AGAINST MUSLIM UIGHURS
China was directing a crushing campaign of religious repression against Muslim Uighurs in the name of anti-separatism and counter-terrorism, a report by Human Rights Watch and Human Rights in China said.
- APRIL 12, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
FORMER POLICE CHIEF AND OTHERS TO DEATH
Guangan City Intermediate People's Court, sentenced Xiong Qiang, Wang Bo, Li Yong and Cha Wanqing to death and sentenced Zhang Jingsong and Jiang Chunlin to death with reprieve. Yang Zhiquan and nine others were sentenced to life imprisonment.
- APRIL 11, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CANADA. COURT AGAIN REJECTS REFUGEE STATUS FOR CHINESE FUGITIVE
the federal appeals court in British Columbia province, Canada, affirmed a lower court's February 2004 decision to refuse refugee status refused to Lai Changxing, a Chinese man considered China's most wanted fugitive.
- APRIL 9, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. PUBLIC OUTCRY GROWING OVER PUNISHMENT, TORTURE OF SUSPECTS
it was reported that an unusual heated public debate had engulfed China over the wrongful conviction of a man for murder.
- APRIL 9, 2005JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. DALAI LAMA CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama called for the abolition of the death penalty. On the second day of a visit to Japan which had been condemned by China, the Dalai Lama told a crowd of hundreds in Tokyo that criminals should be treated with “
- APRIL 8, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. TWO MEN PUT TO DEATH FOR CASH VAN HEIST
Yang Chao, 22, and Sun Feng, 25, were executed after a show trial for killing a cash transport vehicle escort and injuring three others during a 2004 robbery in Panshi in China’s Jilin Province.
- APRIL 7, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
DEATH SENTENCE WITH REPRIEVE IN GUN MAKING AND TRAFFICKING CASE
a court in Haikou, sentenced Li Pingsheng, 30, to death with two years reprieve for making and trafficking 33 guns. Li refitted and produced revolvers and other types of pistols for illegal profits.
- APRIL 6, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
DEATH SENTENCE UPHOLDED FOR FORMER PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION GROUP DIRECTOR
the Liaoning Provincial Higher People's Court ‘recently’ upheld the death sentence passed to Xia Renfan, 56-year-old former president of Shenyang Passenger Transportation Group Co, for corruption, embezzlement of public funds and bribery.
- APRIL 5, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. COUNTRY EXECUTES NINE TIMES MORE PEOPLE THAN REST OF WORLD, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
China accounted for about 90 percent of the 3,797 legally sanctioned executions in 25 countries across the world in 2004, the human rights group Amnesty International said, warning that most of those executed did not have fair trials.