China executes ex-food and drug chief

[SpiritWarrior]

"China executed the former head of its food and drug watchdog on Tuesday for approving untested medicine in exchange for cash, the strongest signal yet from Beijing that it is serious about tackling its product safety crisis.

The execution of former State Food and Drug Administration director Zheng Xiaoyu was confirmed by state television and the official Xinhua News Agency.

During Zheng's tenure from 1998 to 2005, his agency approved six medicines that turned out to be fake, and the drug-makers used falsified documents to apply for approvals, according to previous state media reports. One antibiotic caused the deaths of at least 10 people."....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070710/...inted_products

Wow. While taking action against this is a great thing, I find it hard to fathom execution over it. I am aware his actions did cost lives but I guess it just seems so alien to see that, since I am so used to our own system which wouldn't go that far. Talk about making an example out of someone.

[Morgeruat]

As far as examples go, it's a good one, and how many lives did his greed cost? For someone in his kind of position that kind of act is very much akin to treason, and deserves the harshest punishment. Far more just than, say an Enron exec who costs tens of thousands of people their livelihoods, bankrupted a company, kept millions he'd hidden away, and kept his CEO severence package when it all went down, and then barely served time in prison, and would have spent millions more appealing and keeping it tied up in court to stay out of prison.

Nope, the Chinese are right on this one. It sets an example that your position comes with responsibility, and that you do NOT abuse it for personal gain.