How China’s Leader Lost Faith in His Generals
The court said the punishment marks the harshest penalty for senior military officials since Xi Jinping launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign.
- On Thursday, a Chinese military court sentenced former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption, marking the heaviest penalties in President Xi Jinping's decade-long anti-corruption campaign.
- The Communist Party expelled both men in June 2024, and official Xinhua News Agency statements confirmed their convictions for bribery, stripping them of political rights for life and ordering forfeiture of all personal property.
- Li held the defense minister position for fewer than eight months before disappearing from public view in 2023, having faced US sanctions for purchasing Russian military hardware while heading the Equipment Development Department.
- With Zhang Youxia under investigation, the Central Military Commission now includes only two members, down from its usual complement of 11, impacting the body that commands the PLA.
- A Department of Defense report found at least 15 high-ranking officials were dismissed in 2023, disrupting progress toward 2027 modernization goals, while The International Institute for Strategic Studies reported ongoing purges have hampered readiness.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Xi’s Former Defense Chiefs Accused of Derailing Taiwan Invasion Ambitions
On May 7, a Chinese military court announced suspended death sentences for former Chinese Defense Ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, a development widely viewed as one of the harshest military purges under Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping. Analysts say the case signals not only deep-rooted corruption inside the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), […]
Xi’s anti-corruption crackdown sentences former Chinese defense ministers to death
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! 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. Reuters reported that Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu received the suspended death sentences on May 7 following graft convictions by China’s military court, according to state media. The ruling underscores th…
Xi's anti-corruption crackdown sentences former Chinese defense ministers to death – Democratic Accent
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. Reuters reported that Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu received the suspended death sentences on May 7 following graft convictions by China’s military court, according to state media. The ruling underscores the depth of President Xi Jinping’s long-runni…
Xi's anti-corruption crackdown sentences former Chinese defense ministers to death
Two former Chinese defense ministers were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption in one of the most severe punishments under Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign.
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