Two former Chinese defense ministers sentenced to death: Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu found guilty of corruption, all assets confiscated

China has sentenced two former defense ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghen, to death in corruption cases. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the two will be jailed for the first 2 years. The punishment can be commuted to life imprisonment if they do not commit a new offence for two years. Li Shangfu was abruptly removed from office last year, while Wei Feng also came under the scanner of a military corruption investigation. Both were expelled from China's ruling Communist Party in 2024. According to experts, the action is part of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign. In the last few years, several senior officials associated with the Chinese military and defense have been prosecuted. Former Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu was abruptly removed from office in October last year. He did not appear in public for nearly two months, triggering a lot of speculation. Now, for the first time, Chinese officials have officially admitted that a corruption-related investigation was underway against them. According to the CCTV report, the Military Discipline Investigation Agency found that Lee had seriously violated party discipline and the law. He has been charged with taking bribes on a large scale, bribing others and abusing his position. The report said Lee's activities caused severe damage to the military's weapons development and military equipment image. Former Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe has been accused of accepting bribes and misusing his position. He has been found guilty of corruption by a Chinese military court. Investigations revealed that Wei Fenghe allegedly took bribes in exchange for benefiting decisions related to the Ministry of Defense and the Army. Wei Feng was one of China's most senior military officers. Apart from being a former defense minister of China, he has also served as the commander of the Rocket Force in the Chinese Army. The Rocket Force handles China's missile and nuclear weapons systems. According to reports, the PLA Rocket Force and the Army's Weapons Procurement Department are considered to be the biggest center of the ongoing corruption investigation in China. The PLA Rocket Force is a special unit of the Chinese Army, which handles the country's nuclear missiles and long-range ballistic missiles. It is considered a very important part of China's military strength, as this unit is capable of carrying out a nuclear attack if needed. Investigating agencies suspect large-scale corruption in the purchase of weapons for the army, defence deals and supply of military equipment. It is alleged that many officials took bribes in awarding contracts and in big military deals.