Two Former Chinese Defense Ministers Sentenced to Death with Two-Year Reprieve Over Corruption
Chinese state media Xinhua has reported that Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, two former defense ministers of China, have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on charges of financial corruption. This ruling comes as preparations continue for U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing.
According to the report, both former officials were expelled from the ruling Communist Party of China in 2024. Party authorities at the time cited “serious violations of discipline,” a term commonly used in Chinese political discourse to refer to corruption-related offenses.
China’s anti-corruption campaign has been vigorously pursued by the country’s leadership in recent years, covering numerous high-ranking party and military officials. The sentencing of two former defense ministers represents one of the most prominent cases within this context.
Under Chinese law, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve typically converts to a life sentence if the convicted individual commits no new crimes during that period. Moreover, if the individual’s behavior is evaluated positively, further sentence reductions are possible.
