China Sentences Former Defence Ministers To Death With Reprieve Over Bribery Charges

Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on corruption charges, according to official Chinese media reports on Thursday. The verdicts were delivered separately by a military court, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported, marking one of the most severe outcomes in China’s ongoing anti-corruption crackdown within the armed forces.

According to the reports, Wei Fenghe was convicted of accepting bribes, while Li Shangfu was found guilty of both accepting and offering bribes. The court rulings stated that both men abused their positions of power for personal gain during their tenure in senior defence and military leadership roles. The sentences carry a suspended execution period of two years, after which they may be commuted depending on conduct and other legal considerations under Chinese law.

Both officials served under Chinese President Xi Jinping and were previously expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2024 following internal disciplinary proceedings. They also held positions in the Central Military Commission, the country’s highest military command body led by Xi. Their expulsions followed investigations into alleged corruption and misconduct during their time in office.

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Wei Fenghe served as China’s defence minister from 2018 to 2023, while Li Shangfu held the position for only a brief period before being removed. Both also previously headed the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, a key military unit responsible for China’s missile arsenal, established in 2015 as part of a major military restructuring. Their rapid rise and subsequent downfall have highlighted intense scrutiny within China’s defence establishment.

The cases are part of a broader anti-corruption campaign led by Xi Jinping since taking office in 2012, which has resulted in disciplinary action against more than a million officials, including numerous senior military figures. Following Li Shangfu’s removal, several senior officers linked to the Rocket Force were also investigated or dismissed, reflecting the expanding scope of the crackdown within strategic military units.

Authorities say the campaign is aimed at strengthening discipline and loyalty within the Communist Party and the armed forces, but it has also drawn attention to internal power struggles within China’s military leadership. The latest sentences against two former defence ministers mark one of the most high-profile outcomes of this ongoing drive against corruption in the country’s top ranks.

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