China announces suspended death sentences for former defence ministers

Two former Chinese defence ministers have been handed suspended death sentences on corruption charges, according to state media.

A military court on Thursday sentenced Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with a two-year reprieve. This means their death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment after two years, without the possibility of sentence reduction or parole, Xinhua reports.

Both men were found guilty of bribery, and all of their personal assets were confiscated.

The announcement follows the recent ousting of several top military figures in the country amid a sweeping anti corruption crackdown.

Wei served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023 and was replaced by Li in March 2023.

Li's tenure as defence minister was much shorter.

He was dismissed in October 2023, two months after he suddenly disappeared from public life, sparking speculation of his removal.

Reuters news agency quoted past reports in Xinhua which said that Li had been suspected of receiving "huge sums of money" in bribes as well as bribing others, adding that an investigation found he "did not fulfil political responsibilities" and "sought personal benefits for himself and others".

Meanwhile, an investigation launched into Wei in 2023 is reported to have similarly found that he had accepted "a huge amount of money and valuables" in bribes and "helped others gain improper benefits in personnel arrangements".

In February, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a rare public reference to the military crackdown that also recently saw the removal of the country's top military general, Zhang Youxia.

Xi said at the time that the army had "undergone revolutionary tempering in the fight against corruption".

Since coming to power, President Xi has launched waves of anti-corruption drives, which critics say have also been used as a tool to purge political rivals.