Courts step up efforts to curb private sector corruption

In order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of businesses and entrepreneurs, Chinese courts have intensified the fight against corruption within the private sector, an official from China's top court said.

Wang Chuang, chief judge of the Supreme People's Court's Second Civil Division, revealed at a news conference on Thursday that from January to June, courts across the country concluded 4,842 cases involving the acceptance of bribes by non-State employees, embezzlement, and misappropriation of funds, marking an 11.6 percent year-on-year increase.

"The data demonstrates our firm determination to combat internal corruption in private enterprises through robust judicial measures and to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of businesses," he said.

"Meanwhile, Chinese courts have also severely punished crimes such as spreading false and damaging information about enterprises and extortion — drawing a clear bottom line for such conduct and serving as a strong deterrent," he added.

Upholding the principle of equal protection for all market entities, courts across China have consistently prioritized the development of a sound rule-of-law business environment in recent years, with particular support for the private sector.

In November, the top court highlighted three criminal retrials in which entrepreneurs were acquitted of economic offenses, urging judges nationwide to swiftly rectify miscarriages of justice and refrain from treating commercial matters as criminal ones in order to promote the sustainable, healthy, and high-quality development of the private sector.

In 2024, Chinese courts corrected 46 wrongfully decided cases related to property rights after retrials, with 13 individuals acquitted on appeal, Wang released on Thursday.