China has sentenced two former defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, to death with a two-year reprieve over corruption charges, in one of the most severe disciplinary actions taken amid an ongoing military anti-graft campaign.
According to state news agency Xinhua News Agency, both men were found guilty of accepting large sums in bribes and abusing their positions for personal gain.
Former defence minister Wei Fenghe was accused of accepting significant amounts of money and valuables, as well as facilitating improper personnel arrangements and granting benefits to others during his tenure.
Similarly, Li Shangfu was reported to have received substantial bribes and engaged in corrupt practices linked to personnel and procurement decisions. Investigations also found that he failed to fulfil his political responsibilities.
Under China’s legal system, a suspended death sentence typically means the punishment is commuted to life imprisonment if no further offences are committed during the two-year reprieve period. After commutation, the individuals are usually held without the possibility of parole or further sentence reduction, and all personal assets are confiscated.
Authorities also confirmed that both men have been stripped of their political rights for life.
Wei previously served as commander of the Rocket Force between 2015 and 2017 before being appointed defence minister. Li, regarded as a close ally of President Xi Jinping, Xi Jinping, had overseen major military modernisation efforts and China’s space and weapons development programmes.
Both officials were also members of the Central Military Commission, China’s highest military command body.
The sentencing marks one of the harshest outcomes in President Xi’s long-running anti-corruption drive within the People’s Liberation Army, which has targeted senior military officials across multiple branches, including the Rocket Force.
Previous high-ranking officials, including former Central Military Commission vice-chairmen, have also been imprisoned or investigated under similar corruption crackdowns in recent years.
Observers say the ongoing purges highlight the scale of disciplinary enforcement within China’s military, though some analysts have raised concerns about potential impacts on internal command stability and operational readiness.
