China has handed suspended death sentences to two former defense ministers in a dramatic escalation of President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign within the military.
According to Chinese state media, former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were convicted of bribery by a military court on Thursday and sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. Under China’s legal system, the punishment is expected to be commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after two years.
Wei, 72, served as China’s defense minister from 2018 to 2023, while Li, 68, held the role for less than eight months in 2023 before disappearing from public view amid corruption allegations. Both former generals came under investigation by the military’s anti-corruption agency in 2023.
The sentencing comes as Xi continues a far-reaching purge across the People’s Liberation Army, targeting some of the country’s highest-ranking military figures in what analysts describe as an unprecedented restructuring of the armed forces.
The crackdown intensified earlier this year with the removal of Zhang Youxia, one of China’s most senior military commanders who once oversaw the military’s daily operations and outranked both Wei and Li.
Since 2022, more than 100 military officers may have been removed or investigated, according to a February report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The report stated that 36 generals and lieutenant generals have been officially purged, while dozens of other officers are reportedly missing or believed to be under investigation.
Researchers also found that more than half of the PLA’s top leadership positions have been affected by the ongoing purge, highlighting the scale of Xi’s campaign to tighten control over the military while pushing forward an ambitious military modernization agenda.
Chinese state media framed the investigations as necessary to eliminate corruption and reinforce loyalty to Xi’s leadership. An editorial published by the PLA Daily accused former military leaders of weakening Xi’s authority and said the crackdown would help remove “toxic influences” within the armed forces.
Despite Beijing’s portrayal of the purge as a cleanup effort, some analysts have raised concerns that the removal of so many senior officers could affect the military’s operational readiness and ability to conduct complex missions.
The latest sentences mark one of the strongest signals yet that China’s leadership is prepared to impose severe punishment as it seeks to reshape the military and consolidate political control.
Credit: CNN
