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Two former Chinese defence ministers sentenced to death for corruption

Former Chinese defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were handed suspended death sentences over graft charges amid Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign

Wei and his successor Li, who worked under President Xi Jinping's watch, were expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2024 | Image: Bloomberg

Press Trust of India Beijing

1 min read Last Updated : May 07 2026 | 7:02 PM IST

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Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges on Thursday, official media reported.

Wei and his successor Li, who worked under President Xi Jinping's watch, were expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2024.

Wei served as Defence Minister from 2018 to 2023, and Li barely served a few months as his successor.

Li, a Chinese aerospace engineer who headed the People's Liberation Army's all-important Rocket (Missile) Force, was personally picked up for the top defence post by Xi himself.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)