Politics · Singapore Bureau
Former Chinese food safety chief handed 14-year prison sentence for bribery
A Beijing court has convicted Bi Jingquan, ex-head of China's now-disbanded food and drug authority, of accepting bribes. The 14-year sentence underscores ongoing anti-corruption efforts within China's regulatory agencies.
LSN Singapore ·
BEIJING — Bi Jingquan, the former director of China's Food and Drug Administration, has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment on bribery charges, a Beijing court ruled on Tuesday. The conviction marks another high-profile case in China's sustained campaign against corruption within state institutions.
The CFDA, which oversaw pharmaceutical approvals and food safety standards across mainland China, was restructured and subsumed into the National Medical Products Administration in 2018. Bi's tenure at the agency's helm positioned him at a critical juncture in China's regulatory oversight, particularly following several high-profile food and drug safety scandals that had eroded public confidence.
The sentencing reflects Beijing's continued efforts to root out graft among senior officials, a priority that has seen numerous senior figures from various government ministries and agencies prosecuted in recent years. Anti-corruption authorities have focused particularly on regulatory bodies where officials wield significant discretionary power over business approvals and licensing decisions.
Details of specific bribes or the individuals involved in the case remain limited. The conviction adds to a broader pattern of accountability measures targeting former bureaucrats in China's pharmaceutical and food safety sectors.