(Selected from the translated work titled The Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, authored by Robert Zhang and Steve Li, criminal defense lawyers registered in Shanghai, China.)
Article 17 [Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility] A person who commits a crime shall be held criminally liable if they have reached sixteen years of age.
A person over the age of fourteen years but under the age of sixteen years who commits a crime of intentional homicide, intentional injury resulting in serious injury or death, rape, robbery, drug trafficking, arson, explosion, or release of a hazardous substance, shall be held criminally liable.
A person over the age of twelve years but under the age of fourteen years who commits a crime of intentional homicide, intentional injury resulting in death or resulting in disability in an especially cruel and heinous manner shall be held criminally liable if the Supreme People's Procuratorate approves the prosecution.
Where a person under the age of 18 is held criminally liable in accordance with the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs, punishment shall be alleviated or mitigated.
Where a person under the age of 16 is relieved of criminal liability, their parents or other guardians shall be ordered to discipline them, and special corrective education measures shall be taken in accordance with the law if necessary.
