Xi Jinping deepened the purge of the communist party and sentenced two former defense ministers to death with suspension

The Chinese regime sentenced former defense ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu to death with suspended execution on corruption charges, in a decision that deepens the internal purge promoted by Xi Jinping within the Armed Forces and the structure of the Chinese Communist Party.

The sentence was announced by Chinese military courts and represents one of the most severe measures taken so far in the anti-corruption campaign launched by Xi since coming to power. According to state media, both former officials were found guilty of accepting bribes and abusing their positions to obtain personal benefits and promote irregular promotions

within the military apparatus.

Li Shangfu, who had taken office as defense minister in 2023, suddenly disappeared from public life a few months after taking office, fueling speculation about an internal investigation.

Wei Fenghe, his predecessor and former commander of the People's Liberation Army Missile Force, had also been removed from power amid accusations of corruption.

In China, the so-called “suspended death penalty” generally implies that the execution is paused for two years and is usually converted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if the convicted person does not repeat

offenses.

The convictions reflect the growing level of tension within the Chinese military structure. The purge promoted by Xi Jinping was not limited to these two officials: in recent years, high-ranking generals, members of the Central Military Commission and responsible for strategic areas such as the Missile Force, responsible for the Chinese nuclear arsenal, have also been removed

.

This offensive by the Chinese dictator seeks to reinforce political loyalty within the Armed Forces and to further consolidate Xi Jinping's personal control over the Chinese military apparatus.

The magnitude of the purge also raises questions about the internal state of the Chinese military. Recent reports indicate that mass investigations and dismissals could have affected the command structure and operational readiness of armed forces in the midst of

military modernization.

In this context, the convictions against the two former ministers expose one of the biggest internal crises of the Chinese military apparatus in decades and show how far Xi Jinping is willing to go to maintain absolute control within the regime.