May 7, 2026, 12:18 p.mMay 7, 2026, 2:18 p.m
China has given two of its former defense ministers the death penalty with a deferred sentence.
As the state news agency Xinhua reported, the military court of the People’s Republic sentenced Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe to death for corruption with a two-year stay of execution. After this period has expired, the sentence will be converted to life imprisonment.
Li Shangfu is one of the convicts.Image: keystone
Both were deprived of their political rights for life and their assets were confiscated. According to Xinhua, an appeal is not possible.
Wei served as China’s defense minister from 2018 to March 2023. He was succeeded by Li, who unexpectedly disappeared from public view at the end of August 2023 and was replaced without further explanation in October of the same year after only a few months in office. In June 2024, Li and Wei were finally expelled from the Communist Party (CP) due to corruption allegations.
Wei Fenghe was also convicted.Image: keystone
Li and Wei were both also members of the Central Military Commission, which commands China’s People’s Liberation Army. The army, in a sense the armed wing of the Communist Party, has been repeatedly rocked by corruption investigations at the highest levels since Li’s disappearance. Most recently, the vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission came under suspicion and lost their positions in the body that heads state and party leader Xi Jinping.
Corruption has long been seen as widespread in China’s military and as a means of rising through the ranks. Xi wants to combat the problem with an anti-corruption campaign that has been running for years and also modernize the army. Li’s successor, Dong Jun, is currently defense minister. The post has a more representative function in China. (sda/dpa)