Former Chinese Defence Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu Sentenced To Death

Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, former Chinese defence ministers were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges on Thursday, state media Xinhua reported. They were sentenced separately by China’s military court.

Wei was convicted of accepting bribes, while Li was convicted of both accepting and offering bribes, the agency reported, citing the court rulings. Wei and his successor Li, who worked under President Xi Jinping's watch, were expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2024. They were also former members of the Central Military Commission headed by Xi.

Wei served as Defence Minister from 2018 to 2023, and Li barely served a few months as his successor. Both Wei and Li headed the People's Liberation Army's all-important Rocket (Missile) Force, established in 2015 as part of Xi’s military overhaul.

Wei, who headed the rocket force from its inception until 2017 and later served as the defence minister whereas, Li was personally picked up for the top defence post by Xi himself.

After Li’s sacking, several of its top officials were removed and charged with corruption. Reports suggested that Mr Li had been a suspect of receiving “huge sums of money” in bribes as well as bribing others. An investigation also found he “did not fulfil political responsibilities” and “sought personnel benefits for himself and others”.

For Wei an investigation was launched in 2023 that found he had accepted” a huge amount of money and valuables” in bribes and “helped others gain improper benefits in personnel arrangements”. Xinhua reported in 2024, adding that his actions were “extremely serious in nature, with a highly detrimental impact and tremendous harm”.  

A death sentence with reprieve in China is generally scaled down to life imprisonment if the offender commits no offence during the period of reprieve. After which there is no possibility of further commutation or parole.

(With PTI Inputs)