Beijing, May 7: Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges by a military court on Thursday, in an unprecedented purge at the top of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Their sentences were separately handed down by the military court.
Both Wei and Li were also former members of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), headed by President Xi Jinping, and former state councillors, a high-ranking designation of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).
Wei, 72, was convicted of accepting bribes, while Li, 68, was convicted of both accepting and offering bribes, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the court rulings.
In China, death penalties with reprieve are typically commuted to life sentences.
Both Wei and Li headed the powerful Rocket (missile) Force, established in 2015 as part of Xi’s military overhaul.
Gen Wei, who headed the rocket force from its inception until 2017 and later served as the defence minister from 2018 to 2023, was detained and expelled from the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) over corruption charges.
The Rocket Force operates China’s most powerful long and short-range missiles and is regarded as significant, as it is the key military arm of the PLA.
They were stripped of their political rights for life, and all of their personal properties will be confiscated.
The court rulings said that no further commutation or parole will be allowed after their penalties are commuted to life imprisonment in accordance with the law upon the expiration of the two-year reprieve period.
Under the current political order in China, officials convicted of corruption have at times received death sentences, though these were seldom carried out because the judgments typically included a two-year reprieve.
The reprieve provision allowed the accused to confess their crimes and cooperate with investigators.
Ever since Xi took over power in 2012, he has carried out major purges of officials and the military. Over two million officials were reported to have been punished for corruption.
The periodic purges were reportedly aimed at instilling fear and obedience in the rank and file.
In a shocking move in January, Gen Zhang Youxia, the highest ranking official of the PLA, along with senior General Liu Zhenli were placed under investigation for serious violation of discipline of the CPC and laws.
Zhang is the first Vice Chairman of the CMC – the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the Chinese military.
Liu is a member of the CMC and served as chief of staff of the Joint Staff Department of the CMC.
Besides corruption, which is the main allegation against the sacked military officials, indiscipline and disobedience of the CPC leadership were stated to be the reasons for the action against them.
Since he came to power in 2012, Xi has been insisting that the military should function under the leadership of the CPC.
Critics say that through the anti-corruption movement, he consolidated his power, emerging as the core leader of the party, next only to the party founder, Mao Zedong.
In his recent address to the military officials, Xi said all thoughts or actions driven by personal gains and corruption are completely incompatible with the Party’s nature and purpose.
He urged high-ranking military officials to take the lead in putting down the official airs, and remain true to the identity of revolutionary service personnel.
Xi said that everyone should be equal before laws and regulations, and there are no special cases in the observance of laws and regulations and no exceptions in their enforcement. (PTI)
