China sentenced former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to suspended death sentences with two-year reprieves on May 7, 2026, after convicting them of accepting bribes. Wei served as defense minister from 2018 to 2023, while Li served several months in 2023 before disappearing from public view. The sentences strip both of political rights for life and confiscate all personal assets, part of Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign that has removed millions of officials since 2012.
Suspended death sentences
- ▪Suspended death sentences with a two-year reprieve in China are often automatically commuted to life imprisonment after that period
- ▪Wei Fenghe was given a suspended death sentence with a two-year reprieve and no parole on May 7, 2026
Bribery convictions
- ▪Wei Fenghe served as China's defense minister from 2018 to 2023
- ▪Wei Fenghe will have all personal assets confiscated following the May 7, 2026, conviction
- ▪Wei Fenghe was stripped of political rights for life following the May 7, 2026, conviction
- ▪Wei Fenghe was convicted on May 7, 2026, of accepting bribes by a Chinese military court
Li Shangfu disappearance
- ▪Several other high-ranking defense officials disappeared from public view alongside Li Shangfu in 2023
- ▪Li Shangfu disappeared from public view in 2023, the same year Li Shangfu was appointed defense minister
- ▪Li Shangfu served as China's defense minister for several months in 2023
Xi Jinping anti-corruption purges
- ▪Some high-ranking officials convicted in Xi Jinping's anti-corruption purges have reportedly died in custody
- ▪Xi Jinping's anti-corruption purges have removed millions of officials since 2012
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