BEIJING — A Chinese military court has handed down suspended death sentences to two former defense ministers on bribery charges, The Independent reported.
The two former ministers are Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu. Wei was convicted of accepting bribes and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, while Li was convicted of both giving and accepting bribes and received the same sentence. In China, such suspended sentences are usually commuted to life in prison.
The verdict is the latest in President Xi Jinping’s effort to remove senior officials. Xi launched his anti-corruption campaign more than a decade ago and it remains ongoing. In January, China’s top-ranking generals and military leaders were removed. A year earlier, the powerful Central Military Commission had 11 members. Now, apart from Xi, only one member remains. While the campaign is officially anti-corruption, analysts said Xi is using it to consolidate political loyalty and control over the political elite.
It is not clear whether the two former ministers sentenced to death Thursday had policy or political differences with Xi. Wei served as defense minister from 2018 to 2023. He was succeeded by Li Shangfu, who disappeared from public view after only a few months in office. Li was removed from his position in October 2023. A missile expert by background, he spent most of his career in that field and also served in the procurement arm of China’s People’s Liberation Army. He faced travel bans and U.S. economic sanctions over purchases of Russian military hardware.
Both were expelled from the Communist Party in 2024, which effectively sealed their fate. Li’s successor, Dong Jun, has been serving as defense minister, though analysts said Xi has not appointed him to the powerful Central Military Commission, which oversees the armed forces.
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