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
- JUNE 25, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Chinese Supreme People's Court tried three drug...
The Chinese Supreme People's Court tried three drug cases and sentenced Du Zhongqin, Liu Yingwei, Lin Jianguo and Zhu Qianghua to death
- JUNE 25, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
A court in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, sentenced...
A court in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, sentenced Hong Jinfa and Zhu Guohua to death for drug trafficking
- JUNE 25, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
A court in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, executed...
A court in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, executed three drug traffickers
- JUNE 25, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Wuhan Intermediate People's Court, in Hubei Province,...
Wuhan Intermediate People's Court, in Hubei Province, China, sentenced 11 people to death for trafficking and transporting drugs
- JUNE 25, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Tianjin Number One and Number Two Courts, China, sentenced...
Tianjin Number One and Number Two Courts, China, sentenced Kong Fanzhong to death for trafficking in 645 g of heroin
- JUNE 24, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Liuzhou Intermediate People's Court, in the Guangxi...
The Liuzhou Intermediate People's Court, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, executed Liao Quanen, 40, and Wei Degui, 46, for drug trafficking
- JUNE 24, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Shaoguan Intermediate People's Court, in Guangdong...
The Shaoguan Intermediate People's Court, in Guangdong Province, sentenced Huang Jianwen to death for trafficking and transporting drugs
- JUNE 21, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Cai Gang, an unemployed Chinese man who burned his...
Cai Gang, an unemployed Chinese man who burned his daughter alive to get her life insurance, was sentenced to death
- JUNE 20, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
A Beijing appeal court upheld a suspended death sentence...
A Beijing appeal court upheld a suspended death sentence for former governor of southwest China's Yunnan province, Li Jiating, who was convicted of corruption
- JUNE 19, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Li Yanhui, a 52 year old Beijing man convicted of robbery,...
Li Yanhui, a 52 year old Beijing man convicted of robbery, was executed by the Second Intermediate People's Court of Beijing
- JUNE 19, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
It was reported that in its initial trial, the Foshan...
It was reported that in its initial trial, the Foshan Intermediate People's Court, in Guangdong Province, China, sentenced Huang Zhaohua, Ceng Xianen and Xu Weide to death for selling ecstasy, ketamine and "ice"
- JUNE 19, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Railway Communications Intermediate People's Court,...
The Railway Communications Intermediate People's Court, in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, executed 10 "principal drug criminals"
- JUNE 18, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Beijing Number Two Intermediate People's Court,...
The Beijing Number Two Intermediate People's Court, China, sentenced Wu Yinfu to death for killing Zhou Jianbo on 10 November 1999 following a dispute
- JUNE 17, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Zhuang Chunsheng, a 21-year-old man convicted of killing...
Zhuang Chunsheng, a 21-year-old man convicted of killing his parents, was executed in Beijing after being convicted by the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court
- JUNE 17, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court, in Fujian Province,...
The Fuzhou Intermediate People's Court, in Fujian Province, China, sentenced Wang Jiande, Wang Jianfu and Chen Guo to death for murder, robbery, kidnapping, rape, drug trafficking and illegal trading in guns
- JUNE 17, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Zhejiang Higher People's Court, China, sentenced...
The Zhejiang Higher People's Court, China, sentenced to death Wang Tianyi, director of Wenzhou Lucheng Public Security Sub-Bureau, for accepting bribes and for possession of huge assets without known sources
- JUNE 14, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
In its second trial, the Sichuan Provincial Higher...
In its second trial, the Sichuan Provincial Higher People's Court, China, upheld the death sentence passed on Tan Jin for issuance of false value-added specialized tax invoices
- JUNE 11, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Sichuan Provincial Higher People's Court, China,...
The Sichuan Provincial Higher People's Court, China, upheld the death sentence with two years reprieve given to Zhu Cheng
- JUNE 10, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Lan Rong, a banker convicted of embezzling some 10...
Lan Rong, a banker convicted of embezzling some 10 million yuan from rural savings accounts, was executed in northern China's Weinan city, Shaanxi province, the official Xinhua news agency reported
- JUNE 9, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Guangzhou City Intermediate People's Court in south...
The Guangzhou City Intermediate People's Court in south China handed down two death sentences, one of which was suspended for two years, and 10 jail terms ranging from 3 years to life, for the killing of a young man whilst in police custody
- JUNE 9, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Six people convicted of organizing a local mafia were...
Six people convicted of organizing a local mafia were executed in central China's Xuchang city, Henan province as part of an ongoing campaign aimed at cracking down on organized crime, state press reported
- JUNE 9, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Radio TV Hong Kong audio web site reported that four...
Radio TV Hong Kong audio web site reported that four Tibetans received "hefty jail sentences for arms trafficking
- JUNE 7, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Chen Zongfa was sentenced to death by the Shanghai...
Chen Zongfa was sentenced to death by the Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court following a conviction for double manslaughter
- JUNE 6, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Nanjing City Intermediate People's Court, in Jiangsu...
The Nanjing City Intermediate People's Court, in Jiangsu Province, China, sentenced Xia Jianjun to death with a two-year reprieve on charges of pocketing more than 9,567,200 yuan in public funds, taking 2
- JUNE 5, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Xinhua news agency reported that nine criminals "convicted...
Xinhua news agency reported that nine criminals "convicted of murder and robbery" were sentenced to death by the Second Intermediate People's Court of Beijing and immediately executed
- JUNE 5, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Tang Zhangbin was executed after being convicted of...
Tang Zhangbin was executed after being convicted of murder and robbery by the Shanghai No 2 Intermediate People's Court
- JUNE 4, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
A Chinese court sentenced Zhu Maishu to death for killing...
A Chinese court sentenced Zhu Maishu to death for killing a SARS inspector who was on patrol in his back yard, the official Xinhua news agency reported
- JUNE 2, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Zhou Jie, a teacher in China's north-western Xinjiang...
Zhou Jie, a teacher in China's north-western Xinjiang region, was sentenced to death after being convicted of raping 15 under age girls on more than 30 different occasions, state media reported
- MAY 30, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
Seven people were executed after the Shanghai No 1...
Seven people were executed after the Shanghai No 1 and No 2 Intermediate People's courts convicted them for robbery, rape and murder
- MAY 29, 2003ChinaDEATH PENALTY
The Dahe Daily reported that Li Guanghui, "a third-level...
The Dahe Daily reported that Li Guanghui, "a third-level student from Zhengzhou", was sentenced to death for pouring sulphuric acid over two of his teachers