Beijing (China), May 7 (LaPresse) – According to the official news agency Xinhua, a Chinese military court today sentenced former Defence Ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe to death with a suspended execution on charges of corruption. The court found Wei guilty of accepting bribes and sentenced him to death with a two-year reprieve. Li was also found guilty of both accepting and offering bribes and received the same sentence. In China, death sentences with suspended execution are often commuted to life imprisonment. Wei served as Defence Minister from 2018 to 2023. Li succeeded him but remained in office only a few months before being removed in October 2023. These rulings are the latest in a purge campaign targeting senior officials launched by President Xi Jinping. Xi began an anti-corruption campaign more than a decade ago, and it has continued steadily, culminating in January with the removal of the highest-ranking general and the leadership of the Chinese military.