A military court in China has sentenced former Defense Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with a two-year reprieve for their involvement in high-level corruption. The sentences represent the most severe penalties handed down to military officials since President Xi Jinping launched his sweeping anti-graft campaign upon taking power in late 2012.
Under the Chinese legal system, the suspended death sentences given to 72-year-old Wei and 68-year-old Li are expected to be commuted to life imprisonment after two years. However, state news agency Xinhua specified that this life term will carry no possibility of sentence reduction or parole. The two men have also been stripped of their civil rights for life, and all personal assets have been confiscated.
Wei Fenghe served as the head of the Defense Ministry from 2018 until 2023. He was succeeded by Li Shangfu, whose tenure was notably brief, lasting only from March to October 2023. Li’s sudden disappearance from public view last year sparked international speculation until formal corruption charges were eventually revealed.
Both men previously held significant power as State Councilors and members of the Central Military Commission, the nation’s highest military decision-making body.
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The court found Wei Fenghe guilty of accepting bribes, while Li Shangfu was convicted of both giving and receiving bribes. While the specific financial figures involved in the cases were not disclosed by official media, the severity of the punishment underscores the gravity with which the state views their “grave violations of discipline.”
These convictions are a central part of a broader purge within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership. This internal crackdown coincides with a 7% increase in China’s defense budget announced in March 2026, as Xi Jinping pushes for a modernized, loyal, and combat-ready military force by 2027.
