[JURIST] A Chinese court sentenced Zheng Xiaoyu, former commissioner of China's State Food and Drug Administration [official website, in Chinese], to death on Tuesday for taking bribes in exchange for his approval of substandard drugs. Zheng received over $832,000 in bribes, allowing eight companies to bypass the drug approval process, including one which released an antibiotic accused of killing at least 10 people. In 2002, China [JURIST news archive] implemented sweeping drug laws that required the approval of all drugs by Zheng's agency, creating a huge backlog, which enabled Zheng's abuse of power. The sentence must be reviewed by an appellate court and eventually the Supreme People's Court before it is final.

In April, China continued its campaign against corruption [JURIST news archive] among public officials by unveiling a set of new rules [JURIST report] aimed at ensuring the integrity of public servants. In March, Chinese Chief Justice Xiao Yang told the National People's Congress, China's parliament, that nine high-ranking Chinese officials were convicted by courts in 2006 [JURIST report] as a result of China's ongoing anti-corruption campaign. AP has more. Xinhua has local coverage.