China 'very cautious' about using death penalty: white paper

Special: 100 Years of the CPC

China has been very cautious about using the death penalty, according to a white paper released Thursday.

The white paper on the practice of the Communist Party of China in respecting and protecting human rights was released by the State Council Information Office.

The number of crimes punishable by the death penalty has been reduced significantly in China, the white paper said.