Corruption in Chinese Private Enterprises to Be Judged by Public Official Standards, Drawing Attention
Starting May 1st in China, corruption by employees of private enterprises will be penalized under the same standards as public officials. A new judicial interpretation lowers the criminal threshold for offenses like bribery to RMB 30,000, signaling a strong stance on strengthening corporate governance and combating corruption.
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- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 16:34
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 17:02 (28 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 21:18 (4h 16m after Collected)
(Central News Agency, Taipei, 22nd) A new judicial interpretation in China, requiring that from May 1st, occupational crimes by employees of private enterprises be subject to the same charges and penalties as public officials, with a criminal threshold of just RMB 30,000 (approx. NT$130,000), has drawn public attention.
According to a recent report by China News Weekly, the "Interpretation (II) on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Embezzlement and Bribery," announced by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on the 10th, stipulates that the sentencing standards for crimes of bribery by non-state personnel, bribery of non-state personnel, embezzlement, and misappropriation of funds will refer to the standards for bribery, bribery (unit bribery), embezzlement, and misappropriation of public funds, respectively. The judicial interpretation will take effect on May 1st.
This latest standard has become a focus of external attention and has raised some concerns. According to the report, before this new judicial interpretation, a "double standard" existed between occupational crimes of non-state personnel and those of state personnel, with the latter being significantly stricter.
Taking the crime of bribery by non-state personnel as an example, the threshold for a "relatively large amount" was previously RMB 60,000, while for state personnel, the threshold for a "relatively large amount" was RMB 30,000. After unifying the criminalization standards, the threshold for non-state personnel has been significantly lowered.
Furthermore, for bribery by non-state personnel, an amount over RMB 30,000 can be considered a relatively large amount, punishable by up to 3 years in prison; over RMB 200,000 is considered a huge amount, with a sentence of 3 to 10 years; and over RMB 3,000,000 is considered a "particularly huge amount," with a sentence of 10 years or more.
A private entrepreneur quoted in the report stated that applying the same standards as public officials for corruption in private enterprises serves as a deterrent for everyone. Previously, internal corporate corruption was often resolved by dismissal, but now legal measures are more powerful.
Professor Chen Wei from Southwest University of Political Science and Law believes that the new judicial interpretation sends a general signal of "weaving a denser legal net and standardizing application." It systematically covers hidden forms of corruption such as nominee shareholding, expected interests, and cashing out through artworks, filling the gap in sentencing for unit crimes. (Editors: Chou Hui-ying / Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150422
According to a recent report by China News Weekly, the "Interpretation (II) on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Embezzlement and Bribery," announced by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on the 10th, stipulates that the sentencing standards for crimes of bribery by non-state personnel, bribery of non-state personnel, embezzlement, and misappropriation of funds will refer to the standards for bribery, bribery (unit bribery), embezzlement, and misappropriation of public funds, respectively. The judicial interpretation will take effect on May 1st.
This latest standard has become a focus of external attention and has raised some concerns. According to the report, before this new judicial interpretation, a "double standard" existed between occupational crimes of non-state personnel and those of state personnel, with the latter being significantly stricter.
Taking the crime of bribery by non-state personnel as an example, the threshold for a "relatively large amount" was previously RMB 60,000, while for state personnel, the threshold for a "relatively large amount" was RMB 30,000. After unifying the criminalization standards, the threshold for non-state personnel has been significantly lowered.
Furthermore, for bribery by non-state personnel, an amount over RMB 30,000 can be considered a relatively large amount, punishable by up to 3 years in prison; over RMB 200,000 is considered a huge amount, with a sentence of 3 to 10 years; and over RMB 3,000,000 is considered a "particularly huge amount," with a sentence of 10 years or more.
A private entrepreneur quoted in the report stated that applying the same standards as public officials for corruption in private enterprises serves as a deterrent for everyone. Previously, internal corporate corruption was often resolved by dismissal, but now legal measures are more powerful.
Professor Chen Wei from Southwest University of Political Science and Law believes that the new judicial interpretation sends a general signal of "weaving a denser legal net and standardizing application." It systematically covers hidden forms of corruption such as nominee shareholding, expected interests, and cashing out through artworks, filling the gap in sentencing for unit crimes. (Editors: Chou Hui-ying / Chiu Kuo-chiang) 1150422