Explicit penalties against corrupt officials urged

BEIJING - A Chinese legislator said here on Saturday that China needs to further standardize the measurement of penalties against corrupt officials in order to better safeguard justice.

Zhang Liyong, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, said the Criminal Law needs to stipulate explicit sentences for officials taking bribes worth more than 100,000 yuan ($14,640).

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However, it does not say how different the sentences should be regarding different amounts of bribes.

"The law leaves too much room for judges to decide for each case that falls into this category," Zhang said.

He said the issue should be addressed because it is now quite common for corrupt officials to take bribes worth more than 100,000 yuan as China's economy keeps growing.