Largest Purge Since Mao: Former Chinese Defense Ministers Sentenced to Death

Former Chinese Defense Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on corruption charges.

Reuters reported on this, citing the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

The sentences mark the latest phase of a large-scale anti-corruption campaign within the People’s Liberation Army of China.

Purges within the PRC’s military leadership have been ongoing since 2023 and have already affected the Rocket Force, the Central Military Commission, and the army’s high command.

Militarnyi previously reported that Xi Jinping has already dismissed nearly a fifth of the PRC’s army generals.

According to Bloomberg, large-scale corruption was rampant in the army: cadets paid up to $16,000 to pass entrance exams to leading military academies, while officers bribed generals to advance in their careers, after which they recouped their expenses through kickbacks.

Also according to Bloomberg, since the start of Xi Jinping’s third term, 14 of the 79 generals whom he personally promoted have either been placed under investigation or have disappeared.

Analysts describe these purges as the largest in the Chinese military since the time of Mao Zedong.

Particularly large-scale reshuffles started following corruption scandals in the PLA Rocket Force in 2023.

This branch of the military is responsible for China’s nuclear arsenal and ballistic missiles.

According to Xinhua, Li Shangfu accepted large bribes and facilitated personnel appointments in the interests of specific individuals.

Wei Fenghe was also accused of accepting bribes and illegally promoting military personnel.

In China, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is usually commuted to life imprisonment if the convicted person does not commit new crimes during that period.

According to Xinhua, after the commutation, both former ministers will remain in prison for life without the right to parole or sentence reduction.