Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has the latest on China's political purge of military leaders on 'Special Report.'
Two former Chinese defense ministers have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption. in one of the most severe punishments handed down to senior military officials in recent years.
Reutersreported that Wei Fenghe. Li Shangfu received the suspended death sentences on May 7 following graft convictions byChina’s military court, according to state media.
The ruling underscores the depth of PresidentXi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign within the armed forces, the outlet said.
According to the official Xinhua News Agency, Wei was convicted of accepting bribes, while Li was found guilty of both accepting. offering bribes, based on court documents.
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Wei Fenghe served as China’s defense minister from 2018 to 2023.(Adriano Machado / Reuters)
Both men were also stripped of theirpolitical rightsfor life and ordered to forfeit all personal property.
Under Chineselaw. a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is typically commuted to life imprisonment if the individual does not commit further crimes during the suspension period.
In this case. the penalties will be reduced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or further commutation after the reprieve period ends.
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Former Defense Minister Li Shangfu was the successor to Wei.(Caroline Chia / Reuters)
Wei Fenghe. 72, served as China’s defense minister from 2018 to 2023, while Li Shangfu, 68, held the post for only a few months as his successor.
Both men were former state councillors. members of the powerfulCentral Military Commission(CMC), the top military leadership body chaired by Xi.
They also previously led the People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force. a key branch established in 2015 as part of Xi’ssweeping military reforms.
The Rocket Force oversees China’s nuclear arsenal as well as itsconventional missile systems. making it one of the most strategically significant arms of the military.
The sentences signal an escalation in Xi’s campaign toroot out corruption inthe People’s Liberation Army (PLA). a drive that has targeted senior officials since he took power in 2012.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping walks with soldiers in uniform.(Li Gang/Xinhua)
The crackdown intensified in 2023, wheninvestigationsreached the Rocket Force and other elite units.
Both Wei and Li were expelled from the ruling Communist Party in June 2024.
Singapore-based security scholar James Char told Reuters the sentences were the harshest imposed on members of the Central Military Commission in recent history.
"That Wei. Li have been commuted to life imprisonment without parole or commutation underlines the severity of their offences," he said.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). a London-based think tank, had previously warned that the ongoingpurges could be weakeningChina’s military command structure.
The organization said the campaign may have created disruptions. could affect the readiness of the country’s rapidly modernizing armed forces.
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.
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