Overview
- China’s military court said Thursday that the suspended death sentences for Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu will become life terms with no chance of parole after two years.
- Judges convicted Wei of taking bribes and found Li guilty of both giving and taking bribes, according to state media.
- Both men lost all civil rights for life and had every asset seized as part of the punishment.
- Wei served as defense minister from 2018 to 2023, and Li held the post for less than eight months in 2023 after probes by the PLA’s anti-corruption body.
- The cases sit inside a wider purge under Xi that has removed or sidelined scores of senior officers since 2022, which analysts warn could strain the PLA’s ability to run complex operations.