By 2020, in China there are 42 types of crimes that can be punished with the death penalty.

According to the criminal law of the People’s Republic of China, the death penalty is only applied to offenders who have committed extremely serious crimes.

If a criminal sentenced to the death penalty is not executed immediately, a stay of execution may be issued for up to two years.

If a local court condemns the criminal to the death penalty, it must report to the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) for approval.

   Furthermore, the death penalty will not be applied to persons who are not of legal age at the time of the crime or to pregnant women during the trial.

   The crimes that can be punished with the death penalty are the following:

1. Betrayal of the Country (Article 102).
2. Armed rebellion, and rioting (Article 104).
3. Collaborating with the enemy and betrayal (Article 108).
4. Spying or espionage (Article 110).
5. Stealing, spying, buying, and illegally providing state secrets and intelligence abroad (Article 111).
6. Providing material support to the enemy (Article 112).
7. Arson (Article 115).
8. Flooding (Article 115).
9. Explosion (Article 115).
10. Spreading hazardous substances (Article 115).
11. Endangering public safety in dangerous ways (Article 115).
12. Destruction of vehicles (Article 119).
13. Destruction of transportation facilities (Article 119).
14. Destruction of electrical equipment (Article 119).
15. Destruction of flammable and explosive equipment (Article 119).
16. Hijacking aircraft (Article 121).
17. Illegal manufacturing, trading, transporting, mailing, storing guns, ammunition, and explosives (Article 125).
18. Theft, snatching of guns, ammunition, explosives, and dangerous substances (Article 127).
19. Robbery of guns, ammunition, explosives, and dangerous substances (Article 127).
20. Production and sale of counterfeited drugs (Article 141).
21. Intentional homicide (Article 232).
22. Intentional injury (Article 234).
23. Rape (Article 236).
24. Kidnapping (Article 239).
25. Trafficking in women and children (Article 240).
26. Robbery (Article 263).
27. Riot prison escape (Article 317).
28. Gathering Crowds to raid a prison with weapons (Article 317).
29. Smuggling, selling, transporting, manufacturing drugs (Article 347).
30. Destruction of weapons and equipment, military installations, and military communications (Article 369).
31. Deliberately providing unqualified weapons and equipment, military facilities (Article 370).
32. Bribery (Article 382, 383).
33. Defying orders in wartime (Article 421).
34. Concealing and lying about military affairs (Article 422).
35. Refusal and false transmission of military orders (Article 422).
36. Surrender (Article 423).
37. Escape in wartime (Article 424).
38. Soldier defection (Article 430).
39. Stealing, spying, buying, and illegally providing military secrets abroad (Article 431).
40. Theft and snatching of weapons, equipment, and military materials (Article 438).
41. Illegal sale and transfer of weapons and equipment (Article 439).
42. Mutilating and plundering residents during wartime (Article 446).