Chinese government officials who take money or gifts may face harsher punishment if a draft law on bribery would be enforced in the country, legal experts said.

The draft amendment, which has undergone revisions for eight times since it was passed in 1979, can put the officials to jail and face criminal charges, according to Chen Xingliang, a criminal law professor at Peking University.

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Chen said the measure will be stricter would give harsher punishment on officials who take advantage of their position.

The amendment of the law comes amid the heightened anti graft and corruption campaign in the country, China Daily reported.

The current law states any government officials will be charged with bribery if they use their position to provide assistance or benefit to those who have given them money or gifts.

But no criminal offense will be charged if no assistance was provided to whomever has given the money or gifts, the report explained.

If the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) approves the draft law, government officials who take money or gifts will be charged with bribery, even if no assistance or benefit was given to whoever has given the "bribe," according to Chen.

In 2013, the NPC's standing committee announced that the criminal law will be revised this year.

Once the law is approved, the officials who take bribes can be imprisoned. Money or gifts can only should only be accepted from family members, otherwise, they can be punished, Jiang added.

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