2016年CRI Chinese Judiciary Pledges Tough Offensive Against State Security Threat

China's judicial 1 authorities vow 2 to maintain pressure on corruption 3 and have pledged a firm offensive against threats of state security.

The judicial chief and top prosecutor 4 have vowed 5 to intensify 6 efforts to promote judicial reforms as they delivered their annual reports to lawmakers during the country's top legislative 7 meeting.

China's judicial chief vows 8 to keep up the pressure against corruption.

Supreme 9 People's Court Chief Justice Zhou Qiang says Chinese courts concluded 34,000 graft 10 trials last year. 

"We inflicted 11 severe punishments on crimes of bribery 12 and corruption. We concluded the trial for Zhou Yongkang, who was sentenced for accepting bribes 13, abusing his power and deliberately 14 disclosing state secrets. It showcased the Party and the country's resolute 15 determination in cracking down on corruption. 

We also concluded trials for 15 other senior officials who committed crimes by taking advantage of their office. "

According to the judicial chief's work report, close to 80 former Chinese officials at ministerial level or above have been investigated in the three years between 2013 and 2015.

Top prosecutor Cao Jianming also highlights the anti-graft effort in his work report, noting that 124 corruption suspects have been brought back from 34 countries and regions, who had previously 16 on the run in a 17-month international manhunt.

Seventeen out of 100 wanted fugitives 17 listed in an Interpol "red notice" were also netted.

Judicial authorities also pledged a firm offensive against threats of state security, including terrorism, secessionism and religious extremism.

Cao Jianming says prosecutors 18 took more efforts in prosecuting 19 suspects involved in terrorist attacks.

"The SPP will firmly crack down on hostile attempts to infiltrate 20 the country, subvert 21 the government and cause destruction, as well as terrorist attacks, and secessionist and extremist activities. We will punish cyber crimes, safeguard the country's cyber sovereignty, security and development interests."

The Chief justice Zhou Qiang also points out the courts' efforts in safeguarding the country's maritime 22 rights.

"Different levels of Chinese courts concluded over 6,000 commercial cases involving overseas enterprises last year, protecting China's maritime rights and interests according to law."

Zhou mentioned one notable case involving a Chinese fishing boat which took damage in a collision with a Panama-flagged cargo 23 ship in waters off the Diaoyu Islands in September 2014.

The owner of the Chinese ship brought the case to a Xiamen maritime court in southeastern China.

The case ended via mediation 24.

"Legal trial of the collision case by a Xiamen maritime court clearly demonstrated China's jurisdiction 25 over waters off the Diaoyu Islands."

The chief justice also notes that the country will set up an international maritime judicial center in its latest bid to protect national sovereignty and maritime rights.

As For online financial security, Prosecutor General Cao Jianmin's report says illegal fund-raising through Internet P2P platforms was a key issue for prosecutors last year.

" We prosecuted 26 12,791 individuals for illegal fund-raising, fraud and other economic crimes, especially the case concerning Internet-based P2P broker 27 Ezubao."

In late January, the police said Ezubao had allegedly cheated 900,000 investors 28 out of more than 50 billion yuan through fake investment projects.

An executive from the parent company has admitted it was nothing but a Ponzi scheme.

Judicial authorities also vow to strengthen study and trial guidance of Internet-based financial cases in 2016.

For Judicial justice, Cao Jianmin says a number of high-profile wrongful convictions were corrected last year.

One such case involved Chen Man, 53, who had spent 23 years in prison for murder and arson 29.

Last month a court overturned his conviction after a 16-year appeal process.

"We have carefully reviewed the wrongful prosecutions 30 in the past years and in the process have uncovered discrepancies 31 in the arrest of suspects and lodging 32 indictments 33. Moreover, the SPP is fine-tuning a mechanism 34 to prevent and correct wrong cases."

According to the official, about 25,000 suspects were not prosecuted due to lack of evidence or facts to constitute a crime.

The Supreme Court also plans to establish more circuit courts and improve fast-track procedures on minor 35 cases this year.