Business & White-Collar Crime
Criminal risks for businesses and executives in China – fraud, bribery, embezzlement, tax crimes and compliance defense.
Can a Company Be Criminally Liable in China?
Short answer: yes. Chinese criminal law treats a company as a unit that can itself be convicted, fined and recorded as a criminal offender, while the people who
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Is Bid Rigging a Crime in China?
Yes. Collusive bidding is a crime in China under Article 223 of the Criminal Law when the circumstances are serious, and it carries up to three years of impriso
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Is Falsely Issuing VAT Invoices a Crime in China?
Yes. Falsely issuing VAT special invoices to evade tax is a criminal offence under Article 205 of China’s Criminal Law, and since the 2024 judicial interp
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Is False Advertising a Crime in China?
Yes — if the false advertising is serious enough. Under Article 222 of China’s Criminal Law, the advertiser, the advertising agency and the publishe
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What Is the Punishment for Bribing a Government Official in China?
Short answer: giving money or property to a state functionary to obtain an improper benefit is the crime of bribery (行贿罪) under Article 390 of the Criminal Law.
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What Is the Punishment for Misappropriating Company Funds in China?
One-line answer: under Article 272 of China’s Criminal Law, an employee who takes company money for personal use, for a profit-making activity, or for ill
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Is Selling Unsafe Food a Crime in China?
Yes. Selling food that does not meet China’s food safety standards is a criminal offence, not merely a regulatory breach. Depending on the facts it falls
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Is Stock Market Manipulation a Crime in China?
Yes. Manipulating China’s stock or futures market is a crime under Article 182 of the Criminal Law: up to five years in prison for serious cases, up to te
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What Is Insider Trading in China?
Insider trading is a criminal offence in China. Under Article 180 of the Criminal Law, trading securities or futures on price-sensitive information that is not
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Can a Company Be Criminally Liable for a Data Breach in China?
In short: yes. In China a data breach is not only an administrative or civil problem – it can be a crime, and both the company and its responsible manager
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