Beijing | May 7, 2026 — China has handed suspended death sentences to former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu in one of the most severe punishments imposed on senior military officials in recent years.
Chinese military courts found both men guilty of corruption-related offenses, including bribery and abuse of power. Under China’s legal system, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is typically commuted to life imprisonment if no further crimes are committed during the suspension period.
According to state media reports, the sentences are considered the harshest penalties handed to senior military officers since Chinese President Xi Jinping launched his sweeping anti-corruption campaign in 2012.
Li Shangfu briefly served as China’s defense minister in 2023 before disappearing from public view and later being removed from office. Wei Fenghe, his predecessor, led the ministry from 2018 to 2023 and previously commanded China’s Rocket Force. Both officials were expelled from the Communist Party in 2024 amid corruption investigations.
The convictions come as Beijing intensifies a broad military purge that has affected dozens of high-ranking officers and commanders across the People’s Liberation Army. Analysts say the crackdown reflects Xi’s effort to tighten control over the military while reinforcing political loyalty within the armed forces.
