China introduces the death penalty for officials involved in corruption cases

Corruption cases involving more than £300,000 - or three million yuan - could incur the death penalty in future, Chinese authorities have ruled. 

Under President Xi Jinping the country has waged a much-publicised anti-corruption campaign however no Communist Party official is known to have been put to death for the offence since Xi took office.

The Supreme People's Court and China's national prosecuting body said that bribes or embezzlement totalling three million yuan or more will be considered 'extraordinarily huge value' and could incur the death penalty, or a life sentence without parole.