BEIJING, March 15 (UPI) -- Premier Wen Jiabao told reporters in Beijing Monday China would continue to use the death penalty as punishment in certain crimes.
Wen's remark was in response to a German correspondent, who asked during the news conference at the end of the 10-day National People's Congress session if executions would stop before China hosts the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Wen said measures were being taken to reform the country's judicial system, but he said abolishing the death penalty was not among the reforms.
"Half of the nations worldwide still employ the death penalty," he said.
However, Wen vowed to improve China's judicial mechanisms to ensure such sentences were "given carefully and fairly."
China refuses to officially say how many people are executed per year, but most human rights groups estimate the number in the thousands.
