China has handed suspended death sentences to two former Defence Ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, in one of the harshest punishments imposed on top military officials since President Xi Jinping began his anti-corruption crackdown in 2012.
The sentences were delivered on Thursday by a Chinese military court. Wei Fenghe was found guilty of receiving bribes, while Li Shangfu was convicted of both accepting and offering bribes. In addition to the sentences, both men were stripped of their political rights for life and had all their personal assets confiscated.
Li Shangfu served as China’s Defence Minister from March to October 2023, making him the shortest-serving minister in the country’s history. Wei Fenghe held the same position from 2018 to 2023 before Li succeeded him.
The two former ministers were expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2024 over what Chinese authorities described as “serious violations of discipline,” a term commonly used in the country for corruption-related offences. Both men were also former members of the influential Central Military Commission, the body responsible for overseeing China’s armed forces.
Under Chinese law, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is usually commuted to life imprisonment after the suspension period expires. However, the sentence comes without the possibility of parole or further reduction.
Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, which announced the ruling, did not disclose the exact amount of money involved in the bribery cases.
The convictions are seen as a major escalation in President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign within the People’s Liberation Army. In recent years, several senior military officials have come under investigation over allegations linked to defence contracts, weapons procurement and military modernisation projects.
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