China Sentences Ex-Defence Ministers
China has sentenced former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with a two-year reprieve after they were convicted in corruption cases linked to a widening military graft crackdown.
China Sentences Former Defence Ministers
Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were handed suspended death sentences by a Chinese military court after being found guilty of corruption-related offences.
A death sentence with a two-year reprieve in China is usually commuted to life imprisonment if the convict does not commit further offences during the reprieve period. In these cases, the sentence is expected to become life imprisonment without parole after commutation.
Wei Fenghe And Li Shangfu Graft Cases
Wei Fenghe, who served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023, was accused of accepting large bribes and using his position to manipulate personnel arrangements.
Li Shangfu, who briefly served as defence minister before being removed in 2023, was accused of both accepting and offering bribes. Both men had already been expelled from the Communist Party in 2024 and stripped of their military ranks.
Xi Jinping Military Crackdown Expands
The verdicts are part of President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which has increasingly focused on the People’s Liberation Army and its senior leadership.
The military purge has drawn attention because it has affected several high-ranking officers, including figures linked to the Rocket Force and procurement systems. The sentencing of two former defence ministers marks one of the most serious developments in China’s military corruption crackdown.
