A military court in China has sentenced two former defence ministers to death with a two-year suspension after finding them guilty of corruption and abuse of power.
The ruling was announced Thursday through Chinese state media, with authorities accusing the two former senior officials of accepting massive bribes and using their positions for personal gain.
According to state news agency Xinhua, the death penalties will automatically be commuted to life imprisonment after two years, with no possibility of parole, sentence reduction or amnesty.
Chinese courts commonly use suspended death sentences in major corruption cases involving senior officials, especially when authorities want to impose severe punishment without immediate execution.
The court also ordered the confiscation of all personal assets belonging to both men.
Authorities said the two former ministers abused their positions within the military structure to provide illegal advantages and favours to other individuals in exchange for financial benefits.
Li Shangfu served as China’s defence minister from March 2023 before being removed from office in October of the same year after disappearing from public view for several weeks.
His sudden disappearance triggered speculation internationally about political turmoil and corruption investigations inside China’s military leadership.
Wei Fenghe held the defence portfolio between 2018 and 2023 before being replaced by Li Shangfu.
Both men were senior figures in the People’s Liberation Army and had previously served in China’s powerful Central Military Commission, the top military decision-making body chaired by President Xi Jinping.
The convictions are being viewed as part of President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign targeting both government institutions and the military establishment.
Xi has repeatedly warned about corruption inside the armed forces, saying it threatens the Communist Party’s control over the military and weakens combat readiness.
However, critics and political analysts have often argued that the anti-corruption campaign is also used to remove political rivals and strengthen Xi’s grip on power within the ruling Communist Party.
The latest case adds to a growing list of high-ranking Chinese military and political officials investigated, removed or punished during Xi’s administration as Beijing continues tightening internal discipline across state institutions.
