The execution of Bai Tianxuey, the former head of China Huarong International Holdings Limited convicted of bribery in China, was carried out on December 9. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The country's official news agency "Xinhua" reported this. It was stated that the death penalty was carried out after being confirmed by the Supreme People's Court of China.
Bai Tianxuey was sentenced to death by the Tianjin Intermediate People's Court in May 2024. The court sentenced him to lifelong deprivation of political rights, confiscation of all personal property, and transfer of illegal earnings to the state.
Bai appealed this decision, but in February 2025, the Tianjin Supreme People's Court rejected the appeal and sent the case to the Supreme People's Court. Investigations revealed that between 2014 and 2018, Bai Tianxuey used his official powers to assist interested parties in financing and purchasing various projects.
In return, he received bribes amounting to 1.108 billion yuan (approximately 157 million dollars). The Supreme People's Court classified this as an "especially serious" crime because it not only caused significant harm to state interests but also had negative social consequences.
In China, the death penalty for corruption is usually not executed immediately. In such cases, a two-year probation period is set, and if no violations are found, the sentence is commuted to life imprisonment.
However, Bai's crime was deemed an exception, and the death penalty was carried out immediately. According to information, Bai Tianxuey was allowed to meet with close relatives before the execution.
This is a common practice in cases where the death penalty is applied in China. China is one of the countries that widely applies the death penalty, using it for serious crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, and major economic offenses.
However, exact statistics on executions in the country are kept as state secrets.
