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Sentences Two Ex-Ministers to Death, Ousts 100+ PLA Leaders

5/9/2026

48 7 Full Breakdown

Left

Xi's PLA Purge

The anti-graft campaign has swept away more than half of the PLA’s senior leadership.
Former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in China, life imprisonment.
Since 2022, over 100 senior officers, including top commander Zhang Youxia, have been removed.
PLA Daily editorial said convictions remove toxic influences and renew the armed forces under Xi.

Right

Li & Wei Sentenced

The death sentences for Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe are the harshest anti-corruption penalties since 2023.
Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, former defense ministers, sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve by a Chinese military court.
The removal occurred in October 2023 after only seven months, marking the shortest tenure.
Wei, defense minister 2018-2023, was accused of taking huge sums, described as extremely serious.

History

Historical Context

In 1999 the People’s Liberation Army executed General Zhang Yunchuan, the first senior officer sentenced to death for corruption after taking 1.5 million yuan in bribes. Xi Jinping’s later anti-graft campaign has since sentenced former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with reprieve, echoing Zhang’s precedent. China remains the world’s top executioner, carrying out thousands of deaths in 2024.

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Xi's PLA Purge

The anti-graft campaign has swept away more than half of the PLA’s senior leadership.
Former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve in China, life imprisonment.
Since 2022, over 100 senior officers, including top commander Zhang Youxia, have been removed.
PLA Daily editorial said convictions remove toxic influences and renew the armed forces under Xi.

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