China’s court has sentenced former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death on corruption charges, with the sentences suspended for two years. According to the state news agency Xinhua, such suspended sentences are often later commuted to life imprisonment. The verdict, announced on Thursday, underscores the intensifying anti-corruption drive within China’s military establishment.

President Xi Jinping launched a sweeping campaign against corruption across the state and military apparatus after taking power in 2012. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been a central focus of this effort. In 2023, the campaign extended to the elite Rocket Force, which oversees China’s nuclear and conventional missile programs, marking a significant move for Beijing.

Analysts cited in the report view the harsh ruling against the two former ministers as a demonstration of Xi Jinping’s strengthened control over the military hierarchy and his administration’s zero-tolerance stance toward corruption.