Influence peddling Chinese style

China Executes Airport Chief for Bribes

An intermediate court found 60-year-old Li Peiying guilty in February of accepting almost $4 million in bribes and embezzling about $12 million in public funds over the past 14 years

China has long-struggled against corruption among high level Communist Party officials, especially in state-owned enterprises in energy, transportation and other key sectors that wield vast power and influence.

In 2007, China executed the director of its food and drug agency for approving fake medicine in exchange for cash. One antibiotic was blamed for causing the deaths of at least 10 people.

The Capital Airports Holding Company of which Li was chairman, operates more than 30 airports in nine Chinese provinces with managing assets of more than 100 billion yuan ($14 billion) and 38,000 employees, according to the company's Web site.

In handing down its sentence in February, the Jinan Intermediate People's Court said there was evidence that Li had solicited the bribes, making the crime more serious.

There'd be a lot of back peddling if this caught on in the West.