https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_sentence_with_reprieve

According to the criminal law […], it gives the death row inmate a two-year suspended sentence of the execution. The convicted person will be executed if found to have committed further crimes during the two years following the sentence; otherwise, the sentence is automatically reduced to life imprisonment or a fixed-term imprisonment if the person is found to have performed deeds of merit during the two years.
[…]
This unique sentence is used to emphasize the seriousness of the crime and the mercy of the court, and has a centuries-old history in Chinese jurisprudence.