(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 87 [Statute of Limitations for Prosecution] A crime shall not be prosecuted after:
five years in case of fixed-term imprisonment for a statutory maximum term of no more than five years;
ten years in case of fixed-term imprisonment for a statutory maximum term of no more than ten years;
fifteen years in case of fixed-term imprisonment for a statutory maximum term of no less than ten years; and
twenty years in case of maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment or death.
Where it is deemed necessary to prosecute after twenty years, the case shall be submitted to the Supreme People's Procuratorate for approval.
