2 former Chinese defence ministers given death sentence with reprieve

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Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, according to statement published by Xinhua

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SCMP ReporterPublished: 6:06pm, 7 May 2026Updated: 7:03pm, 7 May 2026Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, have been sentenced to death with reprieve on corruption charges, according to Xinhua.

A military court found Wei guilty of accepting bribery, while Li was deemed guilty of both accepting and offering bribes, according to a two-paragraph statement released by Xinhua late on Thursday afternoon.

The statement did not specify the amount of bribes involved in the cases.

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China sacks defence minister Li Shangfu with no explanation after nearly two-month absence

China sacks defence minister Li Shangfu with no explanation after nearly two-month absence

Both men were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, deprivation of political rights for life and confiscation of all personal property, the statement said.

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After the two-year reprieve period, their sentence would be commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of commutation or parole, it added.

Their sentences are the heaviest seen among senior military officers since Chinese President Xi Jinping started his anti-corruption campaign in 2012.Advertisement

Li served as Chinese defence minister from March to October in 2023, becoming the country’s shortest-serving defence minister. Wei preceded him in the role, serving from 2018 to 2023.

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