🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 39 (from laksa135)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa039.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://time.com/archive/6950793/will-china-ease-up-on-executions/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://time.com/archive/6950793/will-china-ease-up-on-executions/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/time.com\/archive\/6950793\/will-china-ease-up-on-executions\/","crawl_time":1751949532,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,time!\/archive\/6950793\/will-china-ease-up-on-executions\/ s443","src_root_hash":"9797552172251460839","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Will China Ease Up on Executions? | TIME","meta_descriptions":["For the first time in 30 years, China's top legislature proposed this week to reduce the number of crimes punishable by execution. The proposal, albeit..."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"F or the first time in 30 years, China’s top legislature proposed this week to reduce the number of crimes punishable by execution. The proposal, albeit largely symbolic, has drawn renewed attention to China’s controversial death-penalty policy, under which 68 crimes are punishable by death and more executions take place each year than in the rest of the world combined. The state media has reported that 13 nonviolent economic crimes — ranging from smuggling relics and endangered animals to faking VAT receipts — have been dropped in a pending amendment to China’s capital-punishment law. Convicts above the age of 75 will also be eligible for the exemption. If passed, the revised law could slash the total number of capital crimes in the country by up to 20%.  (See pictures of the making of modern China.) Experts caution that the measure might turn out to be a much smaller reform than it appears. “The crimes targeted in the revision are not being used very often,” says Joshua Rosenzweig, senior research manager at the Dui Hua Foundation, a nonprofit human-rights group based in San Francisco. Liu Renwen, a professor of criminal law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, echoes the point. “One of the 13 capital crimes called ‘imparting criminal methods’ has not been used since 1997,” Liu says. “Death penalties for stealing relics and fossils are also extremely rare.” But even if the 13 crimes in the amended law account for just 1% or 2% of China’s total executions, the reduction in sheer numbers could still be significant. China has come under heavy criticism for the number of criminals it puts on death row every year, the number of crimes punished by death penalty and the opaqueness of its legal system. While Beijing remains secretive about the number of executions it metes out, human-rights organizations estimate the figure to be in the thousands. In December 2009, China executed a British man named Akmal Shaikh by lethal injection after finding him guilty of drug trafficking, an act that was widely condemned by the international community. This week’s move suggests Beijing may be seeking to soften its image. “I do think that there is an intention [among Chinese leaders] to eventually move into that direction [of abolishing the death penalty],” says Rosenzweig. “This is another one of those incremental steps along the way.”  That process, however, will be slow. Experts say it’s hard to speculate when this week’s amendment could be passed at such an early stage, though since it has made it this far in the official process, it is unlikely to be rejected. Before taking effect, most draft laws in China need to be read at three separate sessions of the National People’s Congress, which convenes once every two months.  Once adopted, the amended law will do more for Beijing than boost its humanitarian standing. It will also help China gain more control over its many economic fugitives who have fled to foreign countries, says Liu, by clearing a major legal barrier to their extradition back to China. Lai Changxing, a Vancouver-based Chinese businessman accused of smuggling goods and evading $3.6 billion in taxes back home, has been living in Canada since fleeing China in 1999, despite Beijing’s efforts to have him repatriated. The Canadian government has rejected the requests, partially on grounds of Canadian law that forbids extraditing suspects who might risk a death sentence. “If we dropped the death penalty for smuggling altogether,” Liu says, “Lai’s case could have been easier.”  See TIME’s Pictures of the Week. See the Cartoons of the Week.","attrs_markdown":"[Sign Up for Our Ideas Newsletter POV](https:\/\/time.com\/newsletters\/?source=SI+hp+link+mid+&newsletter_name=POV)\n\n[SubscribeSubscribe](https:\/\/time.com\/subscribe-header-time)\n\nSections\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/time.com\/)\n- [U.S.](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/us\/)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/politics\/)\n- [World](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/world\/)\n- [Health](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/health\/)\n- [Climate](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/climate\/)\n- [Future of Work by Charter](https:\/\/time.com\/charter\/)\n- [Business](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/business\/)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/tech\/)\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/entertainment\/)\n- [Ideas](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/ideas\/)\n- [Science](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/science\/)\n- [History](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/history\/)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/sports\/)\n- [Magazine](https:\/\/time.com\/magazine)\n- [TIME 2030](https:\/\/time.com\/time2030)\n- [Next Generation Leaders](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/next-generation-leaders\/)\n- [TIME100 Leadership Series](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/time100-leadership-series\/)\n- [TIME Studios](https:\/\/time.com\/studios\/)\n- [Video](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/video\/)\n- [TIME100 Talks](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/time100-talks\/)\n- [TIMEPieces](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/timepieces-nft\/)\n- [The TIME Vault](https:\/\/time.com\/vault\/)\n- [TIME for Health](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/live-well\/)\n- [TIME for Kids](https:\/\/www.timeforkids.com\/)\n- [TIME Edge](https:\/\/www.timeedge.com\/login)\n- [TIMECO2](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/time-co2-futures\/)\n- [Red Border: Branded Content by TIME](https:\/\/redborder.time.com\/home\/)\n- [Coupons](https:\/\/time.com\/coupons)\n\nJoin Us\n\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/time.com\/newsletters\/?source=time_nav)\n- [Subscribe](https:\/\/time.com\/subscribe-hamburger-time)\n- [Give a Gift](https:\/\/get.time.com\/servlet\/OrdersGateway?cds_mag_code=TIM&cds_page_id=255457&utm_%5B%E2%80%A6%5Dketing+site-reg-paid+all&utm_content=bau+gift22+na+na+na+na+na)\n- [Shop the TIME Store](https:\/\/get.time.com\/pubs\/MX\/TIM\/TIME_Single_Issue_Store_50_Discount_Page2_Mar.jsp?cds_page_id=265727&cds_mag_code=TIM&id=1681921547077&lsid=31091125470044351&vid=1&cds_response_key=SCCGSTR04)\n- [TIME Cover Store](https:\/\/timecoverstore.com\/)\n- [Digital Magazine](https:\/\/geo.ema.gs\/time_digital)\n\nCustomer Care\n\n- [US & Canada](https:\/\/support.time.com\/)\n- [Global Help Center](https:\/\/support.time.com\/)\n\nReach Out\n\n- [Careers](https:\/\/time.com\/longform\/join-time\/)\n- [Press Room](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/press-room\/)\n- [Contact the Editors](mailto:letters@time.com)\n- [Media Kit](https:\/\/time.com\/mediakit)\n- [Reprints and Permissions](https:\/\/www.parsintl.com\/publication\/time)\n\nMore\n\n- [About Us](https:\/\/time.com\/longform\/about-time\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/time.com\/privacy\/privacy_policy.html)\n- [Your Privacy Rights](https:\/\/time.com\/privacy\/privacy_policy.html#_Toc26698205)\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/time.com\/privacy\/privacy_terms_service.html)\n- [Modern Slavery Statement](https:\/\/time.com\/modern-slavery-statement\/)\n- [Site Map](https:\/\/time.com\/html-sitemap\/)\n\nConnect with Us\n\nPresented By\n\n- [World](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/world)\n- Will China Ease Up on Executions?\n\n# Will China Ease Up on Executions?\n3 minute read\n\nJessie Jiang \/ Beijing\n\nAugust 29, 2010 12:00 AM EDT\n\nFor the first time in 30 years, China’s top legislature proposed this week to reduce the number of crimes punishable by execution. The proposal, albeit largely symbolic, has drawn renewed attention to China’s controversial death-penalty policy, under which 68 crimes are punishable by death and more executions take place each year than in the rest of the world combined.\n\nThe state media has reported that 13 nonviolent economic crimes — ranging from smuggling relics and endangered animals to faking VAT receipts — have been dropped in a pending amendment to China’s capital-punishment law. Convicts above the age of 75 will also be eligible for the exemption. If passed, the revised law could slash the total number of capital crimes in the country by up to 20%.\n\n[(See pictures of the making of modern China.)](https:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/photogallery\/0,29307,1924825,00.html)\n\nExperts caution that the measure might turn out to be a much smaller reform than it appears. “The crimes targeted in the revision are not being used very often,” says Joshua Rosenzweig, senior research manager at the Dui Hua Foundation, a nonprofit human-rights group based in San Francisco. Liu Renwen, a professor of criminal law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, echoes the point. “One of the 13 capital crimes called ‘imparting criminal methods’ has not been used since 1997,” Liu says. “Death penalties for stealing relics and fossils are also extremely rare.”\n\nBut even if the 13 crimes in the amended law account for just 1% or 2% of China’s total executions, the reduction in sheer numbers could still be significant. China has come under heavy criticism for the number of criminals it puts on death row every year, the number of crimes punished by death penalty and the opaqueness of its legal system. While Beijing remains secretive about the number of executions it metes out, human-rights organizations estimate the figure to be in the thousands. In December 2009, China executed a British man named Akmal Shaikh by lethal injection after finding him guilty of drug trafficking, an act that was widely condemned by the international community.\n\nThis week’s move suggests Beijing may be seeking to soften its image. “I do think that there is an intention \\[among Chinese leaders\\] to eventually move into that direction \\[of abolishing the death penalty\\],” says Rosenzweig. “This is another one of those incremental steps along the way.”\n\nThat process, however, will be slow. Experts say it’s hard to speculate when this week’s amendment could be passed at such an early stage, though since it has made it this far in the official process, it is unlikely to be rejected. Before taking effect, most draft laws in China need to be read at three separate sessions of the National People’s Congress, which convenes once every two months.\n\nOnce adopted, the amended law will do more for Beijing than boost its humanitarian standing. It will also help China gain more control over its many economic fugitives who have fled to foreign countries, says Liu, by clearing a major legal barrier to their extradition back to China. Lai Changxing, a Vancouver-based Chinese businessman accused of smuggling goods and evading \\$3.6 billion in taxes back home, has been living in Canada since fleeing China in 1999, despite Beijing’s efforts to have him repatriated. The Canadian government has rejected the requests, partially on grounds of Canadian law that forbids extraditing suspects who might risk a death sentence. “If we dropped the death penalty for smuggling altogether,” Liu says, “Lai’s case could have been easier.”\n\n[See TIME’s Pictures of the Week.](https:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/picturesoftheweek)\n\n[See the Cartoons of the Week.](https:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/cartoonsoftheweek)\n\n## More Must-Reads from TIME\n- [Cybersecurity Experts](https:\/\/time.com\/7268032\/doge-cybersecurity-elon-musk\/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE\n- Meet the [2025 Women of the Year](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/women-of-the-year\/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202)\n- The Harsh Truth About [Disability Inclusion](https:\/\/time.com\/7261675\/disability-inclusion-dei-cuts-essay\/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202)\n- Why Do More [Young Adults Have Cancer?](https:\/\/time.com\/7213490\/why-are-young-people-getting-cancer\/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202)\n- [Colman Domingo](https:\/\/time.com\/7210621\/actor-colman-domingo-radical-love\/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) Leads With Radical Love\n- How to Get Better at [Doing Things Alone](https:\/\/time.com\/7205297\/how-to-do-things-alone-mental-health\/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202)\n- [Michelle Zauner](https:\/\/time.com\/7266341\/michelle-zauner-interview-japanese-breakfast-for-melancholy-brunettes\/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) Stares Down the Darkness\n\nContact us at [letters@time.com](mailto:letters@time.com)\n\n[Edit Post](https:\/\/api.time.com\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=6950793&action=edit \"Edit link\")\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/time.com\/)\n- [U.S.](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/us\/)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/politics\/)\n- [World](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/world\/)\n- [Health](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/health\/)\n- [Business](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/business\/)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/tech\/)\n\n- [Entertainment](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/entertainment\/)\n- [Ideas](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/ideas\/)\n- [Science](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/science\/)\n- [History](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/history\/)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/sports\/)\n- [Magazine](https:\/\/time.com\/magazine)\n- [The TIME Vault](https:\/\/time.com\/vault\/)\n- [TIME For Kids](https:\/\/www.timeforkids.com\/)\n- [TIMECO2](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/time-co2-futures\/)\n- [Coupons](https:\/\/time.com\/coupons)\n\n- [TIME Edge](https:\/\/timeedge.com\/login)\n- [Video](https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/video\/)\n- [Masthead](https:\/\/time.com\/time-masthead\/)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/time.com\/newsletters\/?source=TD_Footer_Link)\n- [Subscribe](https:\/\/time.com\/subscribe-footer-time)\n- [Digital Magazine](https:\/\/geo.ema.gs\/time_digital)\n- [Give a Gift](https:\/\/time.com\/giveagift\/)\n- [Shop the TIME Store](https:\/\/timecoverstore.com\/)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/time.com\/longform\/join-time\/)\n- [Modern Slavery Statement](https:\/\/time.com\/modern-slavery-statement\/)\n\n- [Press Room](https:\/\/time.com\/section\/press-room\/)\n- [TIME Studios](https:\/\/time.com\/studios\/)\n- [U.S. & Canada Customer Care](https:\/\/support.time.com\/)\n- [Global Help Center](https:\/\/support.time.com\/)\n- [Contact the Editors](mailto:feedback@time.com)\n- [Reprints and Permissions](https:\/\/www.parsintl.com\/publication\/time)\n- [Site Map](https:\/\/time.com\/html-sitemap\/)\n- [Media Kit](https:\/\/time.com\/mediakit\/)\n- [Supplied Partner Content](https:\/\/time.com\/partnercontent\/)\n- [About Us](https:\/\/time.com\/longform\/about-time\/)\n\n© 2024 TIME USA, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our [Terms of Service](https:\/\/time.com\/privacy\/privacy_terms_service.html), [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/time.com\/privacy\/privacy_policy.html) ([Your Privacy Rights](https:\/\/time.com\/privacy\/privacy_policy.html#_Toc26698205)) and\n\nDo Not Sell or Share My Personal Information\n\n.  \nTIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.","attrs_readable_markdown":null,"meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

🚫

NOT INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

9 months ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	FAIL	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	9.2 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://time.com/archive/6950793/will-china-ease-up-on-executions/
Last Crawled	2025-07-08 04:38:52 (9 months ago)
First Indexed	not set
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	Will China Ease Up on Executions? \| TIME
Meta Description	For the first time in 30 years, China's top legislature proposed this week to reduce the number of crimes punishable by execution. The proposal, albeit...
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	F or the first time in 30 years, China’s top legislature proposed this week to reduce the number of crimes punishable by execution. The proposal, albeit largely symbolic, has drawn renewed attention to China’s controversial death-penalty policy, under which 68 crimes are punishable by death and more executions take place each year than in the rest of the world combined. The state media has reported that 13 nonviolent economic crimes — ranging from smuggling relics and endangered animals to faking VAT receipts — have been dropped in a pending amendment to China’s capital-punishment law. Convicts above the age of 75 will also be eligible for the exemption. If passed, the revised law could slash the total number of capital crimes in the country by up to 20%. (See pictures of the making of modern China.) Experts caution that the measure might turn out to be a much smaller reform than it appears. “The crimes targeted in the revision are not being used very often,” says Joshua Rosenzweig, senior research manager at the Dui Hua Foundation, a nonprofit human-rights group based in San Francisco. Liu Renwen, a professor of criminal law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, echoes the point. “One of the 13 capital crimes called ‘imparting criminal methods’ has not been used since 1997,” Liu says. “Death penalties for stealing relics and fossils are also extremely rare.” But even if the 13 crimes in the amended law account for just 1% or 2% of China’s total executions, the reduction in sheer numbers could still be significant. China has come under heavy criticism for the number of criminals it puts on death row every year, the number of crimes punished by death penalty and the opaqueness of its legal system. While Beijing remains secretive about the number of executions it metes out, human-rights organizations estimate the figure to be in the thousands. In December 2009, China executed a British man named Akmal Shaikh by lethal injection after finding him guilty of drug trafficking, an act that was widely condemned by the international community. This week’s move suggests Beijing may be seeking to soften its image. “I do think that there is an intention [among Chinese leaders] to eventually move into that direction [of abolishing the death penalty],” says Rosenzweig. “This is another one of those incremental steps along the way.” That process, however, will be slow. Experts say it’s hard to speculate when this week’s amendment could be passed at such an early stage, though since it has made it this far in the official process, it is unlikely to be rejected. Before taking effect, most draft laws in China need to be read at three separate sessions of the National People’s Congress, which convenes once every two months. Once adopted, the amended law will do more for Beijing than boost its humanitarian standing. It will also help China gain more control over its many economic fugitives who have fled to foreign countries, says Liu, by clearing a major legal barrier to their extradition back to China. Lai Changxing, a Vancouver-based Chinese businessman accused of smuggling goods and evading $3.6 billion in taxes back home, has been living in Canada since fleeing China in 1999, despite Beijing’s efforts to have him repatriated. The Canadian government has rejected the requests, partially on grounds of Canadian law that forbids extraditing suspects who might risk a death sentence. “If we dropped the death penalty for smuggling altogether,” Liu says, “Lai’s case could have been easier.” See TIME’s Pictures of the Week. See the Cartoons of the Week.
Markdown	[Sign Up for Our Ideas Newsletter POV](https://time.com/newsletters/?source=SI+hp+link+mid+&newsletter_name=POV) [SubscribeSubscribe](https://time.com/subscribe-header-time) Sections - [Home](https://time.com/) - [U.S.](https://time.com/section/us/) - [Politics](https://time.com/section/politics/) - [World](https://time.com/section/world/) - [Health](https://time.com/section/health/) - [Climate](https://time.com/section/climate/) - [Future of Work by Charter](https://time.com/charter/) - [Business](https://time.com/section/business/) - [Tech](https://time.com/section/tech/) - [Entertainment](https://time.com/section/entertainment/) - [Ideas](https://time.com/section/ideas/) - [Science](https://time.com/section/science/) - [History](https://time.com/section/history/) - [Sports](https://time.com/section/sports/) - [Magazine](https://time.com/magazine) - [TIME 2030](https://time.com/time2030) - [Next Generation Leaders](https://time.com/collection/next-generation-leaders/) - [TIME100 Leadership Series](https://time.com/collection/time100-leadership-series/) - [TIME Studios](https://time.com/studios/) - [Video](https://time.com/collection/video/) - [TIME100 Talks](https://time.com/collection/time100-talks/) - [TIMEPieces](https://time.com/collection/timepieces-nft/) - [The TIME Vault](https://time.com/vault/) - [TIME for Health](https://time.com/collection/live-well/) - [TIME for Kids](https://www.timeforkids.com/) - [TIME Edge](https://www.timeedge.com/login) - [TIMECO2](https://time.com/collection/time-co2-futures/) - [Red Border: Branded Content by TIME](https://redborder.time.com/home/) - [Coupons](https://time.com/coupons) Join Us - [Newsletters](https://time.com/newsletters/?source=time_nav) - [Subscribe](https://time.com/subscribe-hamburger-time) - [Give a Gift](https://get.time.com/servlet/OrdersGateway?cds_mag_code=TIM&cds_page_id=255457&utm_%5B%E2%80%A6%5Dketing+site-reg-paid+all&utm_content=bau+gift22+na+na+na+na+na) - [Shop the TIME Store](https://get.time.com/pubs/MX/TIM/TIME_Single_Issue_Store_50_Discount_Page2_Mar.jsp?cds_page_id=265727&cds_mag_code=TIM&id=1681921547077&lsid=31091125470044351&vid=1&cds_response_key=SCCGSTR04) - [TIME Cover Store](https://timecoverstore.com/) - [Digital Magazine](https://geo.ema.gs/time_digital) Customer Care - [US & Canada](https://support.time.com/) - [Global Help Center](https://support.time.com/) Reach Out - [Careers](https://time.com/longform/join-time/) - [Press Room](https://time.com/section/press-room/) - [Contact the Editors](mailto:letters@time.com) - [Media Kit](https://time.com/mediakit) - [Reprints and Permissions](https://www.parsintl.com/publication/time) More - [About Us](https://time.com/longform/about-time/) - [Privacy Policy](https://time.com/privacy/privacy_policy.html) - [Your Privacy Rights](https://time.com/privacy/privacy_policy.html#_Toc26698205) - [Terms of Use](https://time.com/privacy/privacy_terms_service.html) - [Modern Slavery Statement](https://time.com/modern-slavery-statement/) - [Site Map](https://time.com/html-sitemap/) Connect with Us Presented By - [World](https://time.com/section/world) - Will China Ease Up on Executions? # Will China Ease Up on Executions? 3 minute read Jessie Jiang / Beijing August 29, 2010 12:00 AM EDT For the first time in 30 years, China’s top legislature proposed this week to reduce the number of crimes punishable by execution. The proposal, albeit largely symbolic, has drawn renewed attention to China’s controversial death-penalty policy, under which 68 crimes are punishable by death and more executions take place each year than in the rest of the world combined. The state media has reported that 13 nonviolent economic crimes — ranging from smuggling relics and endangered animals to faking VAT receipts — have been dropped in a pending amendment to China’s capital-punishment law. Convicts above the age of 75 will also be eligible for the exemption. If passed, the revised law could slash the total number of capital crimes in the country by up to 20%. [(See pictures of the making of modern China.)](https://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1924825,00.html) Experts caution that the measure might turn out to be a much smaller reform than it appears. “The crimes targeted in the revision are not being used very often,” says Joshua Rosenzweig, senior research manager at the Dui Hua Foundation, a nonprofit human-rights group based in San Francisco. Liu Renwen, a professor of criminal law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, echoes the point. “One of the 13 capital crimes called ‘imparting criminal methods’ has not been used since 1997,” Liu says. “Death penalties for stealing relics and fossils are also extremely rare.” But even if the 13 crimes in the amended law account for just 1% or 2% of China’s total executions, the reduction in sheer numbers could still be significant. China has come under heavy criticism for the number of criminals it puts on death row every year, the number of crimes punished by death penalty and the opaqueness of its legal system. While Beijing remains secretive about the number of executions it metes out, human-rights organizations estimate the figure to be in the thousands. In December 2009, China executed a British man named Akmal Shaikh by lethal injection after finding him guilty of drug trafficking, an act that was widely condemned by the international community. This week’s move suggests Beijing may be seeking to soften its image. “I do think that there is an intention \[among Chinese leaders\] to eventually move into that direction \[of abolishing the death penalty\],” says Rosenzweig. “This is another one of those incremental steps along the way.” That process, however, will be slow. Experts say it’s hard to speculate when this week’s amendment could be passed at such an early stage, though since it has made it this far in the official process, it is unlikely to be rejected. Before taking effect, most draft laws in China need to be read at three separate sessions of the National People’s Congress, which convenes once every two months. Once adopted, the amended law will do more for Beijing than boost its humanitarian standing. It will also help China gain more control over its many economic fugitives who have fled to foreign countries, says Liu, by clearing a major legal barrier to their extradition back to China. Lai Changxing, a Vancouver-based Chinese businessman accused of smuggling goods and evading \$3.6 billion in taxes back home, has been living in Canada since fleeing China in 1999, despite Beijing’s efforts to have him repatriated. The Canadian government has rejected the requests, partially on grounds of Canadian law that forbids extraditing suspects who might risk a death sentence. “If we dropped the death penalty for smuggling altogether,” Liu says, “Lai’s case could have been easier.” [See TIME’s Pictures of the Week.](https://www.time.com/time/picturesoftheweek) [See the Cartoons of the Week.](https://www.time.com/time/cartoonsoftheweek) ## More Must-Reads from TIME - [Cybersecurity Experts](https://time.com/7268032/doge-cybersecurity-elon-musk/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE - Meet the [2025 Women of the Year](https://time.com/collection/women-of-the-year/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) - The Harsh Truth About [Disability Inclusion](https://time.com/7261675/disability-inclusion-dei-cuts-essay/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) - Why Do More [Young Adults Have Cancer?](https://time.com/7213490/why-are-young-people-getting-cancer/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) - [Colman Domingo](https://time.com/7210621/actor-colman-domingo-radical-love/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) Leads With Radical Love - How to Get Better at [Doing Things Alone](https://time.com/7205297/how-to-do-things-alone-mental-health/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) - [Michelle Zauner](https://time.com/7266341/michelle-zauner-interview-japanese-breakfast-for-melancholy-brunettes/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202) Stares Down the Darkness Contact us at [letters@time.com](mailto:letters@time.com) [Edit Post](https://api.time.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=6950793&action=edit "Edit link") - [Home](https://time.com/) - [U.S.](https://time.com/section/us/) - [Politics](https://time.com/section/politics/) - [World](https://time.com/section/world/) - [Health](https://time.com/section/health/) - [Business](https://time.com/section/business/) - [Tech](https://time.com/section/tech/) - [Entertainment](https://time.com/section/entertainment/) - [Ideas](https://time.com/section/ideas/) - [Science](https://time.com/section/science/) - [History](https://time.com/section/history/) - [Sports](https://time.com/section/sports/) - [Magazine](https://time.com/magazine) - [The TIME Vault](https://time.com/vault/) - [TIME For Kids](https://www.timeforkids.com/) - [TIMECO2](https://time.com/collection/time-co2-futures/) - [Coupons](https://time.com/coupons) - [TIME Edge](https://timeedge.com/login) - [Video](https://time.com/collection/video/) - [Masthead](https://time.com/time-masthead/) - [Newsletters](https://time.com/newsletters/?source=TD_Footer_Link) - [Subscribe](https://time.com/subscribe-footer-time) - [Digital Magazine](https://geo.ema.gs/time_digital) - [Give a Gift](https://time.com/giveagift/) - [Shop the TIME Store](https://timecoverstore.com/) - [Careers](https://time.com/longform/join-time/) - [Modern Slavery Statement](https://time.com/modern-slavery-statement/) - [Press Room](https://time.com/section/press-room/) - [TIME Studios](https://time.com/studios/) - [U.S. & Canada Customer Care](https://support.time.com/) - [Global Help Center](https://support.time.com/) - [Contact the Editors](mailto:feedback@time.com) - [Reprints and Permissions](https://www.parsintl.com/publication/time) - [Site Map](https://time.com/html-sitemap/) - [Media Kit](https://time.com/mediakit/) - [Supplied Partner Content](https://time.com/partnercontent/) - [About Us](https://time.com/longform/about-time/) © 2024 TIME USA, LLC. 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