SouthernWorldwide.com – Two former Chinese defense ministers have received death sentences with a two-year reprieve for corruption, marking one of the most severe penalties for senior military officials in recent times.
Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were handed down the suspended death sentences on May 7, following convictions for graft by China’s military court, as reported by state media and detailed by Reuters.
This ruling highlights the extensive reach of President Xi Jinping’s long-standing anti-corruption initiative within the armed forces.
According to the official Xinhua News Agency, court documents indicate Wei was found guilty of accepting bribes, while Li was convicted of both accepting and offering bribes.
Both individuals have also been permanently stripped of their political rights and ordered to forfeit all personal assets.
Under Chinese law, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is typically commuted to life imprisonment if the convicted person refrains from committing further offenses during the reprieve period.
In this specific instance, their sentences are expected to be reduced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or further commutation once the reprieve period concludes.
Wei Fenghe, aged 72, served as China’s defense minister from 2018 to 2023. Li Shangfu, aged 68, held the same position for a significantly shorter period, serving as Wei’s successor.
Both men were previously members of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest military leadership body chaired by Xi, and also held the position of state councillors.
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Prior to their roles as defense ministers, they both led the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force. This crucial branch was established in 2015 as part of Xi’s comprehensive military reforms.
The Rocket Force is responsible for overseeing China’s nuclear arsenal as well as its conventional missile systems, making it one of the most strategically vital components of the military.
These sentences signify an intensification of Xi’s campaign to eradicate corruption within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). This drive has targeted high-ranking officials since Xi assumed power in 2012.
The anti-corruption crackdown saw a significant increase in intensity in 2023, with investigations extending to the Rocket Force and other elite military units.
Both Wei and Li were formally expelled from the ruling Communist Party in June 2024.
James Char, a security scholar based in Singapore, commented to Reuters that these sentences represent the most severe penalties handed down to members of the Central Military Commission in recent history.
He further stated that the commutation of Wei and Li’s sentences to life imprisonment without parole underscores the gravity of their offenses.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a London-based think tank, had previously raised concerns that the ongoing purges might be undermining China’s military command structure.
The organization suggested that the campaign could be causing disruptions that might impact the operational readiness of the nation’s rapidly modernizing armed forces.
