In China's biggest corruption case, the government executed Li Jianping on Tuesday. Jianping, a former official from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was sentenced to death after being convicted of embezzling more than three billion yuan (around $421 million).

Jianping, 64, was executed in Inner Mongolia following an order from China's Supreme People’s Court, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency. He had been the secretary of the Communist Party working committee for the Hohhot Economic and Technological Development Zone. His death sentence was first given in September 2022 and was confirmed on appeal in August 2024. President Xi Jinping has prioritised anti-corruption measures in his administration since taking office in 2012. According to government figures, more than a million party officials have been penalised or charged as a result of the campaign, including two defence ministers and numerous military officers. 

In a speech at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection plenary session in January, parts of which were published in the party’s theoretical magazine Qiushi, Xi urged officials to strongly fight against corruption. He cautioned about the threat of interest groups weakening the Communist Party and stressed the importance of what he called the party’s self-revolution. High-ranking official corruption cases are still increasing in spite of continuous efforts. The South China Morning Post claims that 45 senior officials, or "tigers," were the subject of an investigation by the CCDI last year. The number has already increased to 54 this year. 

Particularly in the military, Xi's anti-graft initiatives have garnered international attention. Critics contend that the campaign has contributed to the consolidation of Xi's power, despite its commendable efforts to combat systemic corruption.