China sentences ex-agriculture minister Tang Renjian to death with a two-year reprieve over massive corruption in Xi Jinping’s anti-graft drive.
China’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign has claimed another high-profile figure as the country’s former agriculture minister, Tang Renjian, has been handed a death sentence with a two-year reprieve for corruption.
According to the People’s Court of Changchun in Jilin Province, Tang accepted bribes amounting to more than 268 million yuan (approximately $38 million) between 2007 and 2024. The court ruled that the “bribes caused particularly severe losses to the interests of the state and the people,” making the punishment necessary under Chinese law.
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The judgment stated that Tang confessed to his crimes and expressed remorse. Under Chinese legal practice, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve may later be commuted to life imprisonment, depending on the prisoner’s conduct.
Tang Renjian, who previously served as governor of Gansu Province and vice chairman of the Guangxi Autonomous Region, is the latest senior official to fall under President Xi Jinping’s aggressive anti-graft drive.
Xi’s campaign — launched shortly after he took power — has toppled hundreds of high-ranking officials across China. Supporters argue it is essential to promote clean governance and restore public trust, while critics say it has also been used to sideline political rivals.
Tang’s sentencing follows a string of similar cases, including the downfall of former defense ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe. Li was dismissed just seven months into his tenure and later expelled from the Communist Party for alleged bribery. His successor, Dong Jun, has also reportedly been placed under investigation for corruption.
This latest conviction underscores Beijing’s unrelenting push to root out corruption within the upper echelons of government, a campaign that continues to reshape the country’s political landscape.