Former Chinese defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have been handed death sentences with a two-year reprieve over corruption-related offences, according to Chinese state media.
The ruling marks another major development in President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted senior political and military figures since he assumed office in 2012.
State news agency Xinhua reported that a military court found Wei guilty of accepting bribes, while Li was convicted of both taking and offering bribes.
Both former ministers were also stripped of their political rights for life, and all personal assets linked to them were confiscated.
Wei served as China’s defence minister from 2018 to 2023 before being replaced by Li, whose tenure lasted only a few months before he disappeared from public view. Li was officially removed from office in October 2023, and both men were expelled from the Communist Party the following year.
The two former ministers were also members of China’s powerful Central Military Commission, the body that oversees the armed forces and is chaired by Xi.
Under Chinese law, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is often reduced to life imprisonment if the individual commits no further offences during the suspension period.
However, the court reportedly stated that after commutation, neither man would qualify for additional sentence reductions or parole.
The case is seen as one of the most high-profile military corruption scandals in China in recent years, highlighting Beijing’s continued efforts to tighten control and discipline within the country’s armed forces.
