BEIJING — Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of China's food and drug agency, was executed last month for accepting $850,000 in bribes from pharmaceutical companies trying to fast-track approvals. But if history is any judge, those who dished out the bribes and saw their companies profit handsomely will suffer a great deal less.
Bribe-givers tend to get off relatively easy in China, according to legal experts, government statistics and media accounts. This not only leaves them free to bribe another day, critics say, but also sends a signal that a little money can get you around even the toughest rules and regulations.
"Those who give and take bribes should be punished equally," said Ren Jianming, vice director of the Anti-Corruption and Governance Research Center at Beijing's Tsinghua University. "I've repeatedly voiced my views on this, but realistically, little has changed."
Zheng's sentence, harsh even by Chinese standards, comes as Beijing finds itself under extreme pressure to show results after a series of health and safety scandals rocked confidence, spread fear and tarnished the "Made In China" label at home and abroad.
China's Cabinet announced late last month that it was drafting new rules aimed at boosting responsibility and increasing penalties for illegal activities. No details about the regulations, which would affect producers and local governments, were released. Toxic food and pharmaceutical ingredients from China have been blamed for dozens of deaths in Panama and a large number of pet deaths in the United States, spurring import restrictions and stepped-up inspections globally. Among the items under scrutiny are seafood, toothpaste, toys, tires and food additives.
On Thursday, China banned exports by two toy manufacturers whose products were subject to major recalls in the United States.
Although there are many complex legal, structural and cultural factors underlying China's product-safety troubles, bribery is believed to be a key component.
An estimated 150,000 new drugs were approved during Zheng's 1998-2005 tenure as head of China's State Food and Drug Administration, leaving investigators with much to examine. So far, six have turned out to be fakes cited in the deaths of at least 10 people. By comparison, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration generally approves fewer than 150 new drugs each year.
Most of the eight pharmaceutical companies named in legal documents appear to be thriving.
