China gives suspended death sentences to two former defense ministers
The court said the former ministers were convicted of bribery and will have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment after two years.
- On Thursday, Chinese Defence Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery, with sentences to be commuted to life imprisonment without parole, according to Xinhua.
- Chinese President Jinping's anti-corruption drive, launched in 2012, has punished over a million officials to clean up the Communist Party and PLA, though critics argue it serves as a tool to purge political rivals.
- Following investigations into graft, Rocket Force leaders Wei and Li were expelled from the Communist Party in 2024 after placement under investigation in 2023, with their roles in the unit established in 2015 central to the charges.
- The suspended sentences align with standard practice in China, where such penalties are routinely commuted to life imprisonment; state media said the verdicts will 'remove toxic influences' and strengthen military modernization.
- Data from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies shows 52% of the PLA's top leadership positions have been affected by Jinping's shake-up since 2022, including the January removal of Zhang Youxia.
166 Articles
166 Articles
Ministers who have received suspended death sentences have been the subject of corruption investigations.
China sentences two former defense ministers in major corruption purge
China sentenced two former defense ministers to suspended death sentences, the most senior officials to be punished in a wide-ranging military anti-corruption push. The pair are among around 100 top officers to be dismissed or disappeared, according to a recent assessment, raising questions over the true capabilities of China’s military amid a purported push to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027 and fears among Asian leaders over what they see as…
The court sentences Wei Fenghe (2018-2023) and Li Shangfu (2023) to death after accusing them of bribery China strikes in the world order against Trump with its technological muscle China sentenced to death for corruption on Thursday former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, two of the most senior figures affected by President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign in the country's military leadership. The sentence is suspended for two …
The Chinese armed forces were one of the main targets of an extensive anti-corruption campaign ordered by President Xi Jinping after his arrival in power in 2012.
Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu received suspended death penalty, which is generally converted into life imprisonment. These sentences arise as part of Xi's campaign to purge senior officials.
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