Overkill

Does the punishment fit the crime? Yes, deaths occurred on his watch and because of his corrupt actions. But it all seems to be the scapegoat mentality. China depends on exports, so they execute someone to "prove" they are serious about cleaning up the exports.

China executes ex-food and drug chief - Yahoo! News

BEIJING - China executed a former director of its food and drug agency Tuesday for approving fake medicine in exchange for cash, illustrating how serious Beijing is about tackling product safety, while officials announced steps to safeguard food at next summer's Olympic Games.

If you want to see the deeper reason, just re-read that last line. Look for the $s.