A Chinese court on Sunday sentenced former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tang Renjian, to death with a two-year reprieve after finding him guilty of massive corruption.
The People’s Court of Changchun, Jilin Province, said Tang collected cash and property bribes worth more than 268 million yuan (about $38 million) between 2007 and 2024.
According to the court ruling, the bribes “caused particularly severe losses to the interests of the state and the people, and therefore warranted the death penalty.”
It noted that Tang confessed to the crimes and expressed remorse.
His conviction comes under President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-graft campaign that has seen several senior officials removed and jailed.
Tang previously held key posts, including governor of Gansu Province and vice chairman of Guangxi Autonomous Region, before becoming agriculture minister.
His case follows high-profile corruption investigations into former defence ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe.
Li was dismissed after just seven months in office and later expelled from the Communist Party for bribery-related offences, while his successor Dong Jun has also reportedly come under graft investigation.
Xi’s anti-corruption drive is praised by supporters as a step towards clean governance but criticised by opponents who say it is also used to eliminate political rivals.
