China
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · In January, the Nanyang Intermediate People's Court...
- News items in the archive
- 2,796
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
China is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 2,796 news items on China, from 1999 to today.
China is believed to carry out more executions than any other country, but the figure is a state secret: no official statistics exist, and the known cases are those reported by the press or heard in public trials. Capital punishment applies to a large number of offences, including economic and drug offences, and the system also provides for a death sentence with a two year suspension, which in practice is often converted into life imprisonment.
The news on this page is a small part of what happens, and it is the part that can be documented.
Latest news
- DECEMBER 30, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Wang Tianlun was given a death sentence suspended...
Wang Tianlun was given a death sentence suspended...
- DECEMBER 29, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: MOB KINGPINS BOTH RECEIVE DEATH SENTENCE
a mob boss and his right-hand man were sentenced to death in China.
DECEMBER 29, 2009United KingdomDEATH PENALTYCHINA: BRITON EXECUTED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
Akmal Shaikh, a British national who was convicted of smuggling drugs into China, was executed by lethal
- DECEMBER 26, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: FIVE CHINESE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
the People’s Court of Vietnam’s northern Quang Ninh Province sentenced Chinese nationals Lu Minh Cheng, Chan Kwok Kwong, Ieong Chi Kai, Wang Hui Lan and Ngan Chiu Kuen to death.
- DECEMBER 23, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA EXECUTES GANG BOSS
Wang Xingping, 39, a top gangster was executed in western China, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
DECEMBER 23, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYa court in China's Xinjiang region sentenced a further five people to death for their role
a court in China's Xinjiang region sentenced a further five people to death for their role
- DECEMBER 22, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA SET TO EXECUTE MENTALLY ILL BRITON FOR DRUG SMUGGLING
China is scheduled to execute a mentally ill British national after the Supreme Court turned down his appeal.
- DECEMBER 22, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
MORE UIGHURS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN CHINA
China sentenced Uighur Mehmet Maheti, 19, to death after finding him guilty of two murders and robbery.
- DECEMBER 22, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: SHENZHEN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH
the Shenzhen Municipal Intermediate Court in China sentenced Li Yi to death and deprived him of political rights for life and forfeited his property.
- DECEMBER 21, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Cambodia deported a group of 20 Uighurs, including two small children, who fled
Cambodia deported a group of 20 Uighurs, including two small children, who fled
- DECEMBER 18, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA BUSINESSWOMAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR FRAUD
Chinese businesswoman Wu Ying, 28, was sentenced to death for cheating investors out of $56 million over two years.
- DECEMBER 18, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: BILLIONAIRE GIVEN DEATH PENALTY FOR MURDER
in China, billionaire Wang Wenxiang, 49, of Heilongjiang Province, was sentenced to death for hiring his personal secretary Bai Peng and a migrant worker Yu Yi, to kill businessman Zhong Yishi.
- DECEMBER 17, 2009TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: TAIWAN MAN EXECUTED BY LETHAL INJECTION IN XIAMEN FOR HEROIN SMUGGLING
a Taiwan man was executed by lethal injection in Xiamen, China, the Xiamen Intermediate people's court said.
- DECEMBER 11, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
BUS DRIVER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING PEDESTRIAN IN E CHINA
bus driver Wang Jianqiang, 50, was sentenced to death in east China's Jiangsu Province for deliberately killing a pedestrian on April 13, 2009, because he was angry at his employer.
- DECEMBER 11, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH IN NORTHEAST CHINA
two men were sentenced to death in northeast China's Liaoning Province by the Dandong Municipal Intermediate People's Court.
- DECEMBER 11, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
DEATH FOR 6 CHINESE TRADERS FAKING 'MADE IN INDIA' TAGS
six Chinese traders who exported fake anti-malaria drugs to Nigeria under the "Made in India" label were sentenced to death, the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing said.
DECEMBER 11, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: WOMAN EXECUTED OVER CHILD PROSTITUTION
a woman in southwest China, Zhao Qingmei, was executed in Guizhou province after her
- DECEMBER 10, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: EXECUTION BY GUNSHOT DISCONTINUED IN LIAONING
northeast China's Liaoning province became the first province to use lethal injection for all executions.
- DECEMBER 10, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: DEATH TERM GIVEN FOR RAPE OF GIRLS
Xu Xinjian, a former school principal in Fujian Province, China, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by the Quanzhou City Intermediate People's Court for raping underage girls.
DECEMBER 8, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: ROGUE TRADER EXECUTED
China executed a former securities trader for embezzlement.
- DECEMBER 7, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SOUTHWEST CHINA GANG TRIAL
five people were sentenced to death after being convicted of drug trafficking, racketeering, fraud and selling counterfeit currency in southwest China.
DECEMBER 4, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: THREE MORE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER ETHNIC RIOTS
China sentenced three more people to death for murder and other crimes committed in riots in the western
- DECEMBER 3, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER GANG CRIME IN SOUTH CHINA
two mob bosses were sentenced to death in Yangjiang, southern China. Xu Jianqiang was also fined 310 million yuan ($45.4 million) for abetting three murders.
DECEMBER 3, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA ANNOUNCES MORE DEATH SENTENCES FOR XINJIANG RIOT
A court in China's Xinjiang region sentenced five people to death for murder and other crimes over deadly
- DECEMBER 1, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: MAN EXECUTED IN XIAMEN FOR KILLING MISTRESS
a man was executed in China for murdering his mistress...
- NOVEMBER 27, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA EXECUTES TWO MEN FOR CHILD ABDUCTION
two men were executed for abducting and selling children in China, the Supreme People's Court said.
- NOVEMBER 26, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
GANG LEADER EXECUTED IN SW CHINA
a notorious gang leader was executed in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality after being convicted of organizing a crime ring that killed one person.
- NOVEMBER 24, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
GUNMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER, ROBBERY IN SOUTHWEST CHINA
a man was sentenced to death in southwest China's Sichuan Province for murder and committing armed robberies with a gang.
- NOVEMBER 24, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF GETS DEATH WITH REPRIEVE
a former police chief in Tonghua City was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in northeast China's Jilin Province.
- NOVEMBER 24, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: TWO EXECUTED OVER TAINTED MILK SCANDAL
two people were executed in China for their involvement in the country's contaminated milk scandal, in which at least six infants died and more than 300,000 became ill.