No parole shall be granted to recidivists or criminals who are sentenced to more than 10 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment for crimes of violence such as homicide, explosion, robbery, rape and kidnap.

Article 82 Parole shall be granted to a criminal through the procedure prescribed in Article 79 of this Law. No parole shall be granted without going through legal procedure.

Article 83 The probation period for parole in the case of fixed-term imprisonment shall be equal to the portion of the term that has not been completed; the probation period for parole in the case of life imprisonment shall be 10 years.

The probation period for parole shall be counted from the date the criminal is released on parole.

Article 84 Any criminal who is granted parole shall observe the following:

(1) observe laws and administrative rules and regulations, and submit to supervision;

(2) report on his own activities as required by the supervising organ;

(3) observe the regulations for receiving visitors stipulated by the supervising organ; and

(4) report to obtain approval from the supervising organ for any departure from the city or county he lives in or for any change in residence.

Article 85 Any criminal who is granted parole shall be subject to supervision by a public security organ during the probation period for parole. If he is not found in any of the circumstances prescribed in Article 86 of this Law, the punishment originally decided shall be considered executed upon the expiration of the probation period for parole, which shall be made known publicly.

Article 86 If a criminal who is granted parole commits another crime during the probation period for parole, the parole shall be revoked, and he shall be given a combined punishment for several crimes as provided in Article 71 of this Law.

If a criminal who is granted parole is discovered to have committed, before the judgment is pronounced, other crimes for which no punishment is imposed, the parole shall be revoked and a combined punishment for several crimes shall be given according to the provisions of Article 70 of this Law.

If a criminal who is granted parole, during the probation period for parole, violates laws, administrative rules and regulations or other regulations relating to supervision and control over parole stipulated by the department of public security under the State Council but the violation does not constitute a new crime, the parole shall be revoked in accordance with legal procedure and he shall be put back into prison to serve the remaining part of criminal punishment.

Section 8 Limitation

Article 87 Crimes shall not be prosecuted if the following periods have elapsed:

(1) five years, when the maximum punishment prescribed is fixed-term imprisonment of less than five years;

(2) 10 years, when the maximum punishment prescribed is fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but less than 10 years;

(3) 15 years, when the maximum punishment prescribed is fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years; and

(4) 20 years, when the maximum punishment prescribed is life imprisonment or death penalty. If after 20 years it is considered necessary to prosecute a crime, the matter shall be submitted to the Supreme People's Procuratorate for examination and approval.

Article 88 No limitation on the period for prosecution shall be imposed with respect to a criminal who escapes from investigation or trial after a People's Procuratorate, public security organ or national security organ files the case or a People's Court accepts the case.

No limitation on the period for prosecution shall be imposed with respect to a case which should have been but is not filed by a People's Court, People's Procuratorate or public security organ after the victim brings a charge within the period for prosecution.

Article 89 The limitation period for prosecution shall be counted from the date the crime is committed; if the criminal act is of a continual or continuous nature, it shall be counted from the date the criminal act is terminated.

If further crime is committed during a limitation period for prosecution, the limitation period for prosecution of the old crime shall be counted from the date the new crime is committed.

Chapter V Other Provisions

Article 90 Where the provisions of this Law cannot be completely applied in national autonomous areas, the people's congresses of the autonomous regions or the provinces concerned may formulate adaptive or supplementary provisions on the basis of the political, economic and cultural characteristics of the local ethnic groups and the basic principles stipulated in this Law, and these provisions shall go into effect after they have been submitted to and approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Article 91 "Public property" as mentioned in this Law refers to the following;

(1) property owned by the State;

(2) property owned collectively by working people; and

(3) public donations or special funds used for elimination of poverty or for other public welfare undertakings.

Private property that is being managed, used or transported by State organs, State-owned companies and enterprises, or enterprises owned by collectives, or people's organizations shall be treated as public property.

Article 92 "Citizens' privately owned property" as mentioned in this Law refers to the following;

(1) citizens' lawful earnings, savings, houses and other means of subsistence;

(2) any means of production that is under private or family ownership according to law;

(3) property lawfully owned by self-employed workers or private enterprises; and

(4) shares, stocks, bonds and other property that are under private ownership according to law.

Article 93 "State functionaries" as mentioned in this Law refers to persons who perform public service in State organs.

Persons who perform public service in State-owned companies or, enterprises, institutions or people's organizations, persons who are assigned by State organs, State-owned companies, enterprises or institutions to companies, enterprises or institutions that are not owned by the State or people's organizations to perform public service and the other persons who perform public service according to law shall all be regarded as State functionaries.

Article 94 "Judicial officers" as mentioned in this Law refers to persons who exercise the functions of investigation, prosecution, adjudication and supervision and control.

Article 95 "Serious injuries" as mentioned in this Law refers to any of the following:

(1) injuries resulting in a person's disability or disfigurement;

(2) injuries resulting in a person's loss of his hearing, sight or the function of any other organ; or

(3) other injuries that cause grave harm to a person's physical health.

Article 96 "Violation of State regulations" as mentioned in this Law refers to violation of the laws enacted or decisions made by the National People's Congress or its Standing Committee and the administrative rules and regulations formulated, the administrative measures adopted and the decisions or orders promulgated by the State Council.

Article 97 "Ringleader" as mentioned in this Law refers to any criminal who plays the role of organizing, plotting or directing in a crime committed by a criminal group or a crowd.