Those offering bribes should also pay the penalty

THE ANNUAL WORK REPORT OF the Supreme People's Court said that 54,249 officials at all levels were investigated for duty-related offenses last year, including 8,217 who were accused of taking bribes, of whom 2,495 were punished. Beijing Times commented on Monday:

China's criminal law tends to impose harsher punishments on officials who take bribes than those who offer the bribes. According to statistics, only about 20 percent of bribery cases involved the persons who offered bribes.

To some extent, keeping a tighter rein on the bribe-takers can expedite the country's anti-graft campaign, but allowing some who have given bribes to walk away with impunity deals a heavy blow to the spirit of the law in the long run.