GLOSSARY
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS: The highest-level administrative divisions in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) make up the provincial level (省级, shengji). These divisions cover certain large municipalities like Beijing and Shanghai in addition to provinces. Yancheng is implied to be such a provincial-level city.
Provincial-level administrative divisions are subdivided into prefectural-level (地级, diji) divisions. Districts in large cities like Beijing and Shanghai fall into this category. Below the prefectural level is the county level (县级, xianji), followed by the township level (乡级, xiangji).
PUBLIC SECURITY: The main law-enforcement agency of the PRC is known as the Ministry of Public Security (公安部, Gong’anbu). Police stations within the Ministry of Public Security are stratified according to the same system as administrative divisions:
PROVINCIAL LEVEL: Public Security Department (公安厅, Gong’anting)
MUNICIPAL LEVEL: Public Security Bureau (公安局, Gong’anju)
DISTRICT LEVEL: Public Security District Bureau (公安分局, Gong’anfenju)
SMALLER DIVISIONS: police stations (派出所, paichusuo)
In addition to fighting crime and maintaining order, police—especially those in smaller departments—manage residency and immigration records. Higher-level departments have more resources to deal with serious crimes.
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LEGAL PROTECTION FOR MINORS IN MAINLAND CHINA
AGE OF MAJORITY: The age of majority is eighteen. However, fourteen is the age of consent, as well as the age of criminal responsibility for certain crimes including intentional homicide.
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE: In China, statutory rape is punishable by prison sentences from ten years to life, or by the death penalty. However, from 1997 to 2015, a lighter prison sentence of five to fifteen years could be handed down if the victim was viewed as a sex worker, as this was classed as a different crime.
PRINCIPLE OF LIGHTER PUNISHMENT: The Chinese justice system holds that if the laws in place when an act was committed stipulated a lighter punishment than those at the time of prosecution, the lighter punishment applies. This could apply to the prosecution of child sexual abuse cases.
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DEATH RITUALS
As burials reduce available arable land, official state policy promotes cremation, and burying the dead is illegal in some regions. Ashes are usually stored in columbaria attached to cremation centers or temples. However, some people continue to bury their dead “illegally” for reasons of tradition or religion.
Many Chinese families practice ancestor veneration. This can entail prayer, the burning of incense, paper offerings, and spirit money.