Abstract
Corruption in healthcare, like corruption in socio-political life at large, is a universal problem. But it is not equal everywhere. It can be a more severe issue in some societies and eras than others. Nevertheless, so far, the challenges of medical corruption for bioethics, particularly clinical ethics, have not been adequately explored or even acknowledged. Hereby, we present a highly publicised case of medical corruption and crimes in China and briefly reflect on the failed role of medical supervisory mechanisms and the implications for clinical ethics in a global context. As this case will show, medical corruption profoundly undermines and systematically damages health professionals’ ethical and clinical competency.