During the Maoist era, particularly during the Anti-Rightist Movement and the Cultural Revolution, the judicial system of China was often used for political persecution of rivals, and penalties such as jail terms or capital punishment were largely imposed on the authority's political enemies, or anyone who attempted to challenge it. During those times, vague accusations such as "counter-revolutionary" (Chinese: 反革命), capitalist roader (走资本主义路线), "running dog of the imperialist " (帝国主义走狗) could have had the accused imprisoned, or shot by firing squad. These labels fell out of use following the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976.
In more recent times, accusations such as “illegal possession of state secret” (非法持有国家机密) and “inciting subversion of state power” (煽动颠覆国家政权) carry long jail terms. The vague charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” has also been frequently used to detain human rights activists.