China voted against the resolution on the death penalty...

China voted against the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28, 1999 (1999/61). The Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions said that during 1998 reported executions in China outnumbered the aggregate total of reported executions from the rest of the world combined. More than 3,152 people were allegedly sentenced to death in 1997 with 1,876 people reportedly being executed. While this number is lower than that for 1996, it is consistent with the figures for the previous three years. The Special Rapporteur continued to receive reports in which the death penalty was handed down for nonviolent crimes such as fraud, forgery, and drug-related and economic-related offenses. According to the information received, 662 persons reportedly received death penalty and 437 executions for drug-related crimes were carried out. Information continues to be received concerning trials resulting in the death penalty that do not meet international standards and safeguards. This includes reports that executions have been carried out within one week of arrest (E/CN.4/1999/39/Add.1).