China sentences former defence ministers to death in sweeping military graft purge

China sentenced former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with a two-year reprieve on corruption charges, according to state-run Xinhua. The ruling is described as one of the most dramatic developments in Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign within the military and political establishment.

In 2025, Xi Jinping launched a sweeping crackdown on senior military officials, expelling nine top generals, including former Central Military Commission Vice-Chairman He Weidong, as part of the anti-corruption campaign. The purge was described by the PLA Daily as a 'total collapse of beliefs' that damaged the army's unity and Communist Party authority.

Li Shangfu was placed under investigation in 2024 before being expelled from the ruling Communist Party. Disciplinary agencies found him guilty of 'serious violation' of political and organisational discipline, including accepting 'huge sums of money and valuables' in return for favours, and seeking 'improper benefits in personnel arrangements for himself and others'.

Li Shangfu, a former defence minister and member of China’s Central Military Commission, was abruptly removed as defence minister in 2023 after months of disappearance from public view.