Fu Daxin, a 69-year-old five-guarantee household recipient in Qidong County, Hunan Province, whose monthly pension was only 50 yuan, was sentenced to two years in prison for attempted robbery after wielding a fruit knife at Beijing Railway Station in order to be cared for in prison.
In the face of the global financial tsunami, in September 2008 Wen Jiabao led the State Council in announcing a large-scale 4 trillion yuan bailout plan for infrastructure investment.
On the morning of September 1, 2008, the Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People's Court announced its verdict, sentencing Yang Jie to death for intentional homicide and deprivation of political rights for life. Yang Jie and his defense lawyer did not speak throughout the announcement, nor did they indicate whether they would appeal. Online questions about the closed trial, the qualifications of the appraiser, and the identity of the defense lawyer immediately spread.