China amends criminal law to punish bribe-givers

Days after President Xi Jinping exhorted people to maintain personal integrity, China on Friday amended its criminal law to punish those giving bribes to officials as part of its anti-corruption drive. An amendment to the Criminal Law was passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. The amended law, which will take effect on March 1, has intensified the fight against bribe-givers, stating that those offering bribes repeatedly, to multiple people, or parties involved in major national projects should be harshly punished. People who give bribes to staff members of supervisory, administrative, or judicial…