China has handed suspended death sentences to two former defence ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, in one of the most severe outcomes yet from President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign inside the military.
A Chinese military court sentenced both men to death with a two-year reprieve after convicting them on bribery-related charges, state media reported Thursday. In China, such sentences are usually commuted to life imprisonment if the convicted person commits no further crimes during the reprieve period. Both men were also stripped of their political rights for life and had their personal assets confiscated.
Wei, who served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023, was convicted of accepting bribes. Li, who succeeded him and served only briefly in 2023 before disappearing from public view and later being removed, was found guilty of both giving and receiving bribes. Li had previously overseen military equipment procurement, a sector that has become a major focus of China’s anti-graft drive.
The rulings mark a dramatic escalation in the purge of senior figures in the People’s Liberation Army. Since 2023, a series of high-ranking officers and defence industry officials have been removed, investigated or disappeared from public life, particularly within the Rocket Force and military procurement networks. Analysts say the cases point to deep concerns within Beijing about corruption, loyalty and command discipline in the armed forces.
The campaign is part of Xi’s broader effort to tighten control over the Communist Party, the military and state institutions. Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has used anti-corruption investigations to punish graft, reinforce political loyalty and remove rivals or unreliable officials from sensitive positions.
The punishment of two former defence ministers sends a clear warning that senior rank offers little protection from prosecution. It also comes at a sensitive time for China’s military, which is under pressure to modernize rapidly while projecting strength around Taiwan, the South China Sea and other regional flashpoints.
Although the death sentences are unlikely to be carried out if the two men comply with the terms of the reprieve, the verdicts represent a crushing political fall for both former ministers and underline the scale of Beijing’s continuing military cleanup.
