Former Chinese defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over corruption charges, according to state media reports on Thursday, marking one of the most severe punishments handed to senior military officials in China’s ongoing anti-graft campaign. The rulings were issued by a military court and reported by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Wei and Li, both of whom served under President Xi Jinping and were previously members of the Central Military Commission, were expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2024. Wei served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023, while Li held the post for only a brief period before being removed. According to the reports, Wei was convicted of accepting bribes, while Li was found guilty of both accepting and offering bribes in connection with his official duties.
The court findings, as cited by Xinhua, allege that Li received “huge sums of money” in bribes and also used his position to influence personnel decisions, including seeking benefits for himself and others. Wei, who earlier led the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force and later became defence minister, was accused of accepting large amounts of money and valuables and assisting others in gaining improper advantages through personnel arrangements. The reports described his conduct as “extremely serious in nature” with “tremendous harm” and a “highly detrimental impact.”
The Rocket Force, which oversees China’s nuclear and missile capabilities and was established in 2015 as part of Xi Jinping’s military restructuring, has been a central focus of the broader purge. Both Wei and Li previously held leadership roles linked to this strategic unit, and their downfall follows earlier waves of removals within the same branch, including senior officials charged with corruption after Li’s dismissal.
The sentencing reflects the intensity of Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted the military since he came to power in 2012 and has led to the punishment of more than a million officials, including numerous generals. Earlier phases of the crackdown reportedly extended into the highest levels of the armed forces, including the removal of senior leadership figures. Analysts have warned that the continued purges may be creating serious gaps in command structure and potentially affecting the readiness of China’s rapidly modernising military forces.
Under Chinese law, a death sentence with reprieve is typically commuted to life imprisonment if no further crimes are committed during the two-year period. After commutation, the sentence generally becomes life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or further reduction.
