Crimes rising among business elite: Report

New study finds entrepreneurs still need 'legal consciousness'

A growing number of Chinese entrepreneurs are committing criminal offences, and most of them enjoy high political status or social recognition, a report by a senior lawyer shows.

Wang Rongli, a Shenzhen-based lawyer, collected case files of 85 influential entrepreneurs sentenced or accused of criminal offences in 2009. A total of 36 were from State-owned enterprises (SOE) and 49 from private enterprises.