More than two weeks after the amended Criminal Law took effect, which stipulates that drunk driving is a criminal offense, the Chinese public and legal experts are still debating the amendments.

The amended Criminal Law stipulates that all drunk driving incidents are considered criminal offenses, even if the act of drunk driving itself does not result in a traffic accident.

But Supreme People's Court (SPC) Vice President Zhang Jun said courts should "avoid generalizing such a conviction."

Zhang said that a conviction should not be solely based on whether the incident meets the criteria of drunk driving.

According to the recently revised Criminal Law, if hazardous behavior is insignificant and causes slight harm, it will not be considered as a criminal offense, said Zhang.

Some say Zhang's comments challenge the integrity of the amendments and provide a loophole for drunk drivers who should be punished in line with the amended law.

A newly-amended Road Traffic Safety Law, which also took effect on May 1, states that anyone caught drunk driving will have their driver's license revoked. Drunk drivers will also need to wait five years to apply for a new license and face a detention period of one to six months under the amended law.