Wow.
China on Tuesday sentenced the former head of its food and drugs agency to death for corruption in a surprise judgment as the government sought to contain a wave of scandals over health safety.
Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of the State Food and Drug Administration, was convicted on charges of taking bribes and dereliction of duty, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People's Court.
The sentence, which was unusually harsh, could still be reduced on appeal. But it reflects the weight China's top leaders are giving to the issues of corruption and food safety as they grapple with the fallout overseas after a series of safety breaches involving toxins in food and other products.
My feelings are mixed on this. I am firmly against capital punishment but I am glad the Chinese government is taking responsibility for this egregious problem and steps - I hope - to make sure it does not happen again. Can you imagine any other outcome in the current administration besides whoever was responsible getting promoted to Food Czar?
You know American hubris has ruined American prestige when we need to take cues from developing nations.
Best outcome he gets a very long jail sentence.
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