China has sentenced former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with a two-year reprieve in separate corruption cases, according to state news agency Xinhua News Agency. The punishment highlights the seriousness of the corruption purge taking place within China’s military leadership.

The action is part of a wider anti-corruption campaign launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping after he came to power in 2012. Over the years, the armed forces have become one of the main targets of this campaign. The crackdown intensified in 2023 when investigations reached the elite Rocket Force, which is responsible for overseeing both nuclear weapons and conventional missile systems.

The anti-corruption drive continued to expand this year. It led to the removal of top military general Zhang Youxia, who was also a member of the Politburo and had long been considered a close ally of Xi Jinping. His removal signalled that even senior figures with strong political ties were not beyond scrutiny.

According to earlier reports by Xinhua News Agency, Li Shangfu was accused of accepting “huge sums of money” in bribes and also bribing others. Investigators said he “did not fulfil political responsibilities” and “sought personnel benefits for himself and others”. These findings formed part of the corruption case against him.

Wei Fenghe also faced serious accusations. An investigation launched against him in 2023 found that he had accepted “a huge amount of money and valuables” in bribes. Authorities further accused him of helping others gain “improper benefits in personnel arrangements”. In a report released in 2024, Xinhua stated that his actions were “extremely serious in nature, with a highly detrimental impact and tremendous harm”.

Under China’s legal system, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is commonly reduced to life imprisonment if the individual does not commit further crimes during the reprieve period. However, after the sentence is commuted, the individual remains imprisoned for life without the possibility of parole or any further reduction in punishment. Xinhua confirmed that both former ministers would face life imprisonment without the chance of commutation or parole after the reprieve period.

The corruption crackdown has raised concerns about the condition of China’s military leadership and operational readiness. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the ongoing purges have created serious gaps within the military’s command structure. The organisation said the investigations and removals are likely to have affected the preparedness of China’s rapidly modernising armed forces.

The relentless purge of senior officials is closely watched, given the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s crucial role in China’s military and strategic planning. The Rocket Force, which came under scrutiny during the crackdown, plays a major role in the country’s defence system and is considered one of the most critical branches of the armed forces.

The cases against Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu reflect the scale of the anti-corruption campaign within China’s military establishment. The sentencing of two former defence ministers is seen as one of the strongest signals yet from the Chinese leadership regarding its efforts to root out corruption from the armed forces.

At the same time, the developments show the growing pressure within China’s military system as investigations continue to target senior officials. The campaign has already reshaped parts of the military leadership and may continue to impact the structure and functioning of the armed forces in the coming years.