July 9, 2007
Zheng Xiayou, the former head of the State Food and Drug Administration in China, was
executed just six weeks after he was sentenced to death by the Intermediate People’s
Court for taking bribes to approve untested medicine for sale.
The death penalty was handed down against the regulator just after the international
stories about tainted pet food that was manufactured in China appeared in the media.
There were numerous pet deaths and illnesses in the United States and other countries
as a result of a presence of melamine in the food.
The execution was the first of an administrator since 2000, but the fourth execution of a
government regulator since China began trade nearly 30 years ago.
Yan Jiangying, the deputy policy director for the State Food and Drug Administration,
indicated that China was behind on food and drug safety because its agency was started
so late in the country’s trade evolution. She also noted, “Corruption in the food and drug
authority has brought shame to the nation. What we will have to learn from the
experience is to improve our work and emphasize public safety.”1
Mr. Zheng had been the head of the State Pharmaceutical Administration from 1994
through 2003. In 2003, the agency was renamed the State Food and Drug
Administration and was given the added responsibility of policing the food supply. In
2006, he was charged with having accepted $850,000 in bribes to grant approval for
medicines, regardless of prior testing or market readiness. He had approved 137 drugs
by companies that had not submitted applications to the agency. Of the 137 drugs, six
turned out to be fakes, not even a form of medicine.
Mr. Zheng’s second in command was also given a death sentence, but he was also
given a two-year stay of execution. Generally, in China, when there is a lengthy stay of
execution it means that the sentence will be commuted to lifetime imprisonment.
What signal is China sending with the harsh punishment of its regulators? Is the death
penalty a bit harsh for bribery?
1
Joseph Kahn, “China Quick to Execute Drug Official,” New York Times, July 11, 2007, pp. C1, C8.