China adopts Criminal Law amendments, repealing crime of sex with underage prostitutes

BEIJING - China's top legislature adopted amendments to Criminal Law on Saturday, repealing the crime of sex with underage prostitutes, and ruling out commutation for most corrupt figures.

The amendments, voted by lawmakers at the end of a six-day bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, repealed the crime of sex with underage prostitutes and reclassified it as rape, which would face a tougher punishment.

The amendments also said that criminals convicted on serious corruption charges who have received a two-year suspended death sentence will face life imprisonment after the two years.

This aims to "safeguard judicial fairness" and prevent "the most corrupt criminals from serving shorter prison terms through commutation," according to the top legislature.

It targets officials who illegally seek commutation, parole or non-prison sentences, said Prof. Ruan Qilin of the China University of Political Science and Law.