CHINA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Greg Hallahan, Amanda Rasmussen and Kristine Kwok, Secretariat
A small number of the total cases are published. According to CCDI statistics released for 2024, only about 15% of cases involving a CCP mem - ber working as a government or CCP official were listed on the CCDI website that year. No information to explain the rationale for publish - ing particular cases has been given, and it is not obvious from the case descriptions, the seniority of the officials involved or the sentences why they were selected. Three categories of judgments relating to fraud and corruption are also recorded in the judg - ments database: • “crimes that undermine the socialist market economic order” ie, selling counterfeit or unsafe products, smuggling, fraudulent con - tracts and engaging in pyramid schemes; • crimes relating to property, such as theft and embezzlement; and • corruption and bribery, involving both those charged with offering bribes and those receiv - ing them. These judgments include a very small proportion of the total number of judgments. In 2014, 9% of judgments (400,000) appearing in the judgments database related to property-related crimes, 1% to economic crimes (50,000) and 0.5% to corruption and bribery (23,000). The number of judgments published for each type of fraud- related crime in 2024 was less than 1% of the total number of published judgments:
data security and privacy laws. However, avail - able information makes it difficult to estimate the actual figures. Media and financial press Public comment on certain topics usually relat - ing to the activities of CCP leaders, national security and other matters deemed sensitive are closely monitored by censors operating at the direction of the CCP leadership. Within these constraints, there are still a wide and diverse range of opinions on policy and reg - ulation published as opinion pieces by academ - ics, industry experts and business leaders. The progress of large commercial transactions, the fortunes of specific businesses and entrepre - neurs, the impact of global politics on business and commerce, and industry or market trends are all discussed in the financial press and on blogs and forums. High-profile scandals and corruption cases sometimes also receive media coverage, within limits set by the CCP. Authoritative media outlets include Caixin, Yicai, Securities Times, the China Securities Journal, Shanghai Securities News, Economic Daily and the 21st Century Business Herald. There are a large number of forums, blogs and bulletin boards on which ordinary Chinese individuals regularly (and sometimes forcibly) express their opinions on a wide range of social and cultural issues, including commenting on the reputation of companies, and the popularity and functionality of products. Public WeChat and Sina Weibo accounts allow companies to share corporate announcements and interact with customers and clients. Other popular social media platforms include:
• 55,000 relate to property crimes; • 8,500 to economic crimes; and • 1,000 to corruption and bribery.
The CCDI statistics suggest this is a small pro - portion of the total number of cases heard, and that many are not made public to comply with
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