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Two former Chinese defence ministers handed suspended death sentences

Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were convicted in a military court as part of China’s corruption crackdown on top-ranking officials.

Published: 12:30pm, 8 May 2026

Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, have received suspended death sentences for corruption. State media said on May 7, 2026, that a military court convicted Wei of accepting bribes and Li of both accepting and offering bribes. The sentences are the harshest punishment for top PLA officers since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign began in 2012.

Two former Chinese defence ministers handed suspended death sentences

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were convicted in a military court as part of China’s corruption crackdown on top-ranking officials.

Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were convicted in a military court as part of China’s corruption crackdown on top-ranking officials.