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Ex-China Defence Ministers Get Suspended Death Sentences In Corruption Cases
A Chinese military court sentenced two former defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery-related offenses. Wei was found guilty of accepting bribes, Li of accepting and offering bribes; both sentences are suspended and often commuted to life in prison. The ruling is part of Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign and follows other high-level purges within the party and the military.
Why It Matters
The case illustrates how corruption investigations are being used to reshape China's military leadership and consolidate political control.
Timeline
1 Event
Suspended death sentences for former Chinese defence ministers
May 8, 2026
A Chinese military court, reported by Xinhua News Agency, sentenced Wei Fenghe to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting bribes, and Li Shangfu to the same suspended death sentence for accepting and offering bribes. The court noted that suspended death sentences are often commuted to life in prison. The Communist Party expelled both men from its ranks in 2024; Wei served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023, and Li, who served only months before disappearing in October 2023, spent most of his career in missile and procurement branches and had faced travel and financial sanctions from the US over the purchase of Russian military hardware. Li's replacement, Dong Jun, continues as defence minister, but experts note he was not appointed to the Central Military Commission, which in years past had 11 members and now has just one member aside from Xi himself.