China has sentenced two former defense ministers to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption, marking the highest-profile casualties yet in Xi Jinping's relentless campaign to consolidate control over the People's Liberation Army.
According to Reuters, Wei Fenghe, who served as defense minister from 2018 to 2023, and his successor Li Shangfu, who held the position briefly in 2023, were both convicted of accepting bribes and abusing their positions.
The sentences, announced by state media on Wednesday, represent an extraordinary political earthquake within China's military establishment. Both men had been members of the powerful Central Military Commission and held ranks equivalent to full generals before their dramatic falls from grace.
Under Chinese law, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve typically converts to life imprisonment if the condemned shows good behavior during the suspension period. The harsh initial sentence nonetheless sends an unmistakable signal about the severity with which Beijing views their transgressions.
The dual prosecutions expose the extent of corruption within the PLA's Equipment Development Department, which both men previously commanded. This department controls weapons procurement and research budgets worth hundreds of billions of yuan, making it particularly vulnerable to graft.
Xi Jinping has made anti-corruption a centerpiece of his rule since taking power in 2012, purging thousands of officials across party, government, and military hierarchies. Critics argue the campaign serves dual purposes: genuinely combating endemic corruption while simultaneously eliminating potential rivals and ensuring absolute loyalty to Xi.
The defense ministry purges recall historical precedents from China's turbulent past. During the Cultural Revolution, used accusations of disloyalty to purge senior military commanders. later arrested dozens of generals following the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, consolidating control before launching economic reforms.
