Two former Chinese defense ministers have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on corruption charges, according to Chinese state media.
A military court on Thursday convicted Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu of accepting bribes and ordered the confiscation of all their personal assets.
Under China’s legal system, a suspended death sentence is typically commuted to life imprisonment after two years if no further crimes are committed. State news agency Xinhua reported that neither man will be eligible for sentence reductions or parole.
Wei served as China’s defense minister from 2018 until 2023, before being succeeded by Li in March 2023.
Li’s time in office was brief. He was removed from his post in October 2023 after disappearing from public view for nearly two months, fueling speculation over his political future and possible investigation.
The sentencing comes amid a sweeping anti-corruption campaign within China’s military leadership led by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Several senior military officials have recently been dismissed, including top general Zhang Youxia.
In February, Xi publicly addressed the military crackdown, saying the armed forces had “undergone revolutionary tempering in the fight against corruption."
Since taking power, Xi has launched multiple anti-corruption campaigns targeting senior Communist Party and military officials. Critics have argued that the campaigns have also served as a means of removing political rivals.