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By Open Chronicle with agencies
Chinese authorities have sentenced two former defense ministers to suspended death penalties in one of the most dramatic developments yet in President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption purge within the military establishment.
Former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were both convicted of bribery by a military court, according to Chinese state media on Thursday.
The court imposed death sentences with a two-year reprieve, a punishment that is typically commuted in China to life imprisonment after the suspension period. State media reported that both men will ultimately serve life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Wei, 72, served as China’s defense minister between 2018 and 2023. Li, 68, succeeded him and remained in the post for less than eight months before disappearing from public view amid growing speculation about an internal investigation.
Both men came under investigation in 2023 as part of a broader anti-corruption campaign targeting senior officers in the People’s Liberation Army.
The convictions are the latest sign that Xi’s military restructuring campaign has reached the highest levels of China’s defense leadership. In January, authorities also removed senior military figure Zhang Youxia, one of the most influential commanders within the armed forces and previously responsible for overseeing day-to-day military operations.
Since 2022, China’s sweeping military purge has reportedly affected more than 100 officers across various branches of the armed forces.
According to a February report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, at least 36 generals and lieutenant generals have been officially purged, while another 65 senior officers are either missing from public view or believed to have been removed from their positions.
The report also found that more than half of the PLA’s top leadership posts have been affected when accounting for repeated purges within the same positions.
Xi’s campaign has been presented domestically as part of a broader effort to modernize the Chinese military and eliminate corruption within its ranks. However, analysts have suggested that the scale of the crackdown may also reflect concerns about political loyalty and internal discipline ahead of China’s long-term military ambitions.
An editorial published earlier this year in the official PLA Daily newspaper accused senior military figures of undermining Xi’s authority and described the investigations as necessary to remove “toxic influences” within the armed forces.
The editorial stated that the purge would help the military undergo a “thorough renewal” while reinforcing the leadership’s message of zero tolerance toward corruption.
The developments come at a time when China continues accelerating military modernization programs, expanding naval capabilities, and increasing pressure across strategic flashpoints in the Indo-Pacific region.