China Sentences Two Former Defense Ministers to Suspended Death for Bribery

The verdicts were announced Thursday through Chinese state media, which said both former officials were found guilty of accepting massive bribes. Li was additionally convicted of offering bribes. The sentences are expected to be commuted to life imprisonment without parole after two years, a common practice in major corruption cases in China.

Charges and Sentences

According to state news agency Xinhua:

• Wei Fenghe, China’s defense minister from 2018 to 2023, was convicted of taking bribes.
• Li Shangfu, who briefly served as defense minister in 2023, was convicted of both accepting and giving bribes.

Both minister received:

• death sentences with a two-year suspension,
• lifelong loss of political rights,
• confiscation of personal assets,
• and eventual conversion to life imprisonment without parole.

Background of the Accused

Wei Fenghe previously led China’s elite PLA Rocket Force before becoming defense minister.

Li Shangfu disappeared from public view only months after taking office in 2023 and was later removed without explanation. Before his appointment, he oversaw military procurement and aerospace development programs. He had also been sanctioned by the United States in 2018 over Chinese purchases of Russian weapons systems.

Connection to China’s Military Purge

The cases are part of a broader military anti-corruption campaign that has intensified dramatically since 2023.

Reports indicate:

• more than 70 senior military and defense industry officials have been investigated,
• top Rocket Force commanders were removed,
• several generals linked to weapons procurement were detained,
• and senior CMC officials have also come under scrutiny.

Some experts believe the crackdown reflects fears inside the Communist Party about:

• military loyalty,
• internal factionalism,
• and readiness for possible future conflicts involving Taiwan or the South China Sea.

What Is a “Death Sentence With Reprieve”?

China’s “death with two-year reprieve” system is unusual.

Under Chinese law:

1. The person is technically sentenced to death.
2. Execution is suspended for two years.
3. If no major new crimes occur during that period, the sentence is usually reduced.

In corruption cases involving senior officials, the punishment is commonly converted to:

• life imprisonment,
• with no parole or sentence reduction allowed.

This sentence is considered harsher than ordinary life imprisonment because release is effectively impossible.

Political Impact

The scandal damages the image of China’s military modernization campaign.

Xi Jinping has spent years:

• expanding military spending,
• modernizing weapons systems,
• strengthening missile forces,
• and promoting the PLA as a world-class military force.

But repeated corruption scandals suggest that:

• procurement systems may have been compromised,
• promotions may have been bought,
• and military readiness could have suffered.

Li Shangfu had already become internationally controversial before his removal.

In 2018, the United States sanctioned him over Chinese purchases of Russian fighter jets and missile systems. Because of those sanctions:

• relations between the U.S. and Chinese militaries became strained,
• and high-level defense meetings were disrupted.

His sudden disappearance in 2023 stimulated rumors of:

• espionage investigations,
• internal political conflict,
• or broader military instability.

China never publicly explained his removal in detail.