Two former Chinese defense ministers have been handed death sentences with a two-year reprieve on grave corruption charges, according to state media reports.
On Thursday, May 7th, a Chinese military court pronounced the suspended death sentences for Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu. This ruling dictates that their death penalties will be commuted to life imprisonment after two years, with no possibility of parole or reduction in sentence, as reported by the official Xinhua news agency.
In addition to the severe sentencing, the court ordered the confiscation of all their personal assets. Both individuals were found guilty of accepting substantial bribes, a development that underscores the ongoing, aggressive crackdown on corruption within China’s senior military ranks.
Who are Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu?
Wei Fenghe held the prestigious position of defense minister from 2018 until March 2023, when he was succeeded by Li Shangfu. Li’s tenure, however, proved significantly shorter. He was abruptly dismissed in October 2023, merely two months after his sudden disappearance from public life sparked widespread speculation regarding his removal.
Citing a Xinhua report, Reuters stated that Li was accused of accepting “huge sums of money” in bribes, as well as engaging in bribery himself. The investigation further revealed that he “failed to fulfill his political responsibilities” and actively “sought personal gain for himself and others.”
Meanwhile, a separate investigation launched into Wei Fenghe in 2023 uncovered that he also received “huge sums of money and valuable items” as bribes and “assisted others in obtaining undue advantages in personnel arrangements.” This dual sentencing follows a series of high-profile oustings of senior military officials as President Xi Jinping intensifies his anti-graft campaign.
In February, President Xi Jinping had announced a renewed crackdown within the military. More recently, Zhang Youxia, one of the nation’s highest-ranking generals, was reportedly removed from his post. Xi stated at the time that the military had “undergone revolutionary tempering in the struggle against corruption,” a campaign that critics argue is also used as a tool to purge political opponents and consolidate power.
Are there similar cases?
Indeed, President Xi Jinping has systematically institutionalized his sweeping anti-corruption campaign since assuming power in 2013, a drive that has concurrently served to eliminate political rivals and strengthen his authority.
In September 2025, Tang Renjian, a former Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, was also sentenced to death for bribery. Tang reportedly accepted bribes, including cash and property valued at over 268 million yuan (approximately 627.3 billion Indonesian Rupiah or US$37 million), across various positions he held from 2007 to 2024, as reported by the state news agency Xinhua.
A court in Changchun, Jilin Province, suspended Tang’s death sentence for two years, acknowledging that he had confessed to his crimes.
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Earlier, in 2017, a senior Chinese general reportedly committed suicide following an investigation into alleged corruption. General Zhang Yang, a prominent member of China’s Central Military Commission, was under scrutiny for his connections to two other high-ranking military officers who had already been expelled from the party due to corruption allegations.
During the Communist Party Congress in October that year, President Xi Jinping had vowed to escalate anti-corruption efforts, which by then had implicated 1.5 million party officials, including high-ranking military officers, since the campaign’s launch in 2012. The official Xinhua news agency reported that General Zhang, aged 66, was found dead after hanging himself at his home on November 23, 2017.
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Summary
Dua mantan menteri pertahanan Tiongkok, Wei Fenghe dan Li Shangfu, dijatuhi hukuman mati dengan penangguhan dua tahun atas tuduhan korupsi serius. Putusan pengadilan militer pada 7 Mei ini berarti hukuman mereka akan diubah menjadi penjara seumur hidup setelah dua tahun, tanpa kemungkinan pembebasan bersyarat atau pengurangan hukuman. Selain itu, pengadilan memerintahkan penyitaan seluruh aset pribadi mereka setelah terbukti menerima suap dalam jumlah besar.
Wei Fenghe menjabat menteri pertahanan dari 2018 hingga Maret 2023, kemudian digantikan oleh Li Shangfu yang diberhentikan mendadak pada Oktober 2023. Keduanya dituduh menerima suap besar dan gagal memenuhi tanggung jawab politik, menandai intensifikasi kampanye antikorupsi Presiden Xi Jinping di kalangan militer senior. Kampanye ini, yang juga digunakan untuk mengonsolidasi kekuasaan, telah melibatkan kasus-kasus serupa termasuk mantan menteri Tang Renjian dan Jenderal Zhang Yang.