China hands suspended death sentences to two former defence ministers as military purge widens
China's Supreme People's Court has handed suspended death sentences to former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu on bribery charges. The verdicts come as Xi Jinping deepens his grip on the military.
The Supreme People's Court in Beijing said Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu had each accepted bribes worth a combined 28 million dollars. Such suspended sentences are typically commuted to life imprisonment after two years; the Chinese Communist Party also stripped both men of their ranks and retirement benefits.
The verdicts mark the highest-profile outcome to date of a sweeping purge inside the People's Liberation Army that has accelerated since the start of the Iran war. Former Rocket Force commander Li Yuchao received a similar sentence last month.
Defence stocks on the Shanghai exchange rose 1.8%, while the CSI 300 index slipped 0.3%. Diplomats said Xi Jinping is reinforcing the optics of military command ahead of his June summit in Beijing with US President Donald Trump.
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