On 14 January, Vice President of the Supreme People's...

On 14 January, Vice President of the Supreme People's Court Liu Jiachen awarded medals of honor to the Guangdong High Court and the Guangzhou Intermediate Court, for sentencing Hong Kong gangster Cheung Tze-keung to death in December 1998, a case that drew international interest and sparked debate over Hong Kong's judicial independence. Although Cheung was arrested and tried in mainland China, he was a resident of Hong Kong and most of his crimes took place in the former British colony, which does not have the death penalty and is wary of Beijing's often summary justice (see 1999 Report).