Amendment VIII to the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China

    Updated : 2015-12-01

31. Article 200 is amended as: “Where an entity commits a crime as provided for in Article 192, 194 or 195 of this Section, a fine shall be imposed on it, and the directly responsible person and other directly liable persons shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 5 years or criminal detention and may be sentenced to a fine in addition; if the amount involved is huge or there is any other serious circumstance, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 5 years but not more than 10 years and a fine; or if the amount involved is especially huge or there is any other especially serious circumstance, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 10 years or life imprisonment and a fine.”

32. Paragraph 2 of Article 205 is deleted.

33. One article is added after Article 205 as Article 205A: “Whoever falsely issues any invoice other than those as mentioned in Article 205 of this Law shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 2 years, criminal detention or control and a fine if the circumstances are serious; or be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 2 years but not more than 7 years and a fine if the circumstances are especially serious.

Where an entity commits the crime as provided for in the preceding paragraph, a fine shall be imposed on it, and its directly responsible person and other directly liable persons shall be punished according to the provision of the preceding paragraph.”

34. Paragraph 2 of Article 206 is deleted.

35. One article is added after Article 210 as Article 210A: “Whoever knowingly holds counterfeit invoices shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 2 years, criminal detention or control and a fine if the quantity is relatively large; or be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 2 years but not more than 7 years and a fine if the quantity is huge.

Where an entity commits the crime as provided for in the preceding paragraph, a fine shall be imposed on it, and its directly responsible person and other directly liable persons shall be punished according to the provision of the preceding paragraph.”

36. Article 226 is amended as: “Whoever commits any of the following acts by violence or threat shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 3 years or criminal detention and/or a fine if the circumstances are serious; or be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 3 years but not more than 7 years and a fine if the circumstances are especially serious:

(1) Forcing any other person to purchase or sell commodities;

(2) Forcing any other person to provide or accept services;

(3) Forcing any other person to participate in or withdraw from a bidding or audition;

(4) Forcing any other person to transfer or acquire stocks or bonds of a corporation or enterprise or any other asset; or

(5) Forcing any other person to participate in or withdraw from a certain business operation.”

37. One article is added after Article 234 as Article 234A: “Whoever organizes others to sell human organs shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 5 years and a fine; or if the circumstances are serious, be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 5 years and a fine or forfeiture of property.

Whoever removes any other person’s organ without such other person’s consent, removes any organ of a person under the age of 18 or forces or deceives any other person into donating any organ shall be convicted and punished according to the provisions of Articles 234 and 232 of this Law.

Whoever removes a dead person’s organ against the person’s will before his death or removes a dead person’s organ against the will of the person’s near relatives in violation of the provisions of the state provided that there is no consent from the person before his death shall be convicted and punished according to the provision of Article 302 of this Law.”

38. Article 244 is amended as: “Whoever forces any other person to work by violence, threat or restriction of personal freedom shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 3 years or criminal detention and a fine; or if the circumstances are serious, be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 3 years but not more than 10 years and a fine.

Whoever knowingly recruits or transports a workforce for any other person to commit the act as mentioned in the preceding paragraph or otherwise assists in forcing any other person to work shall be punished according to the provision of the preceding paragraph.

Where an entity commits a crime as provided for in the preceding two paragraphs, a fine shall be imposed on it, and its directly responsible person and other directly liable persons shall be punished according to the provision of paragraph 1 of this Article.”

39 Article 264 is amended as: “Whoever steals a relatively large amount of public or private property, commits thefts many times, commits a burglary or carries a lethal weapon to steal or pick pockets shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 3 years, criminal detention or control and/or a fine; if the amount involved is huge or there is any other serious circumstance, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 3 years but not more than 10 years and a fine; or if the amount involved is especially huge or there is any other especially serious circumstance, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 10 years or life imprisonment and a fine or forfeiture of property.”

40. Article 274 is amended as: “Whoever extorts a relatively large amount of public or private property or extorts public or private property many times shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 3 years, criminal detention or control and/or a fine; if the amount involved is huge or there is any other serious circumstance, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 3 years but not more than 10 year and a fine; or if the amount involved is especially huge or there is any other especially serious circumstance, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 10 years and a fine.”

41. One article is added after Article 276 as Article 276A: “Whoever evades payment of a relatively large amount of labor remunerations by transferring property or escaping and hiding or refuses to pay a relatively large amount of labor remunerations though capable, and still refuses to pay even after being ordered by the relevant government department to pay, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not more than 3 years or criminal detention and/or a fine; and if there are serious consequences, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than 3 years but not more than 7 years and a fine.