Former Chinese defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on corruption charges. According to Operative Information Center-OMM, citing Reuters and the Xinhua news agency, both officials were expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2024 due to "serious disciplinary violations."
The court's decision follows an extensive investigation into financial misconduct within the military leadership. In Chinese legal practice, a death sentence with a reprieve is typically commuted to life imprisonment if the convict does not commit further crimes during the two-year period. Both former ministers were found to have accepted significant bribes and abused their positions of power.
This high-profile case is part of a broader anti-corruption campaign led by the Chinese leadership, which has targeted numerous high-ranking officials in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) over recent years. The crackdown aims to ensure political loyalty and military integrity within the country's armed forces, reflecting a zero-tolerance policy toward graft in senior government and military positions. Similar investigations have previously resulted in the removal of several top generals as the state seeks to modernize its defense apparatus.
