Today brings another reminder that when it comes to fighting corruption, the Chinese do not mess around. Yang Yanming, general manager of the Beijing securities trading department of the China Great Wall Trust and Investment Corp. from 1997 to 2003, was executed Tuesday for allegedly embezzling 65 million yuan ($9.5 million). Yang's execution was reportedly the first-ever of an executive from China's financial sector.

The AP reports that some people wanted Yang kept alive so he would explain where the money went, but Yang refused to tell. Before the execution was carried out, Yang told the state newspaper that people should "Preserve your moral integrity and don't set too much store by business results."