A Chinese military court on Thursday handed suspended death sentences to two former defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, for bribery, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Wei Fenghe was found guilty of accepting bribes, while Li Shangfu was guilty of both accepting and offering bribes, with both receiving a death sentence with a two-year reprieve.

The sentences are part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has seen the removal of several senior officials, including China's highest-ranking general and military leadership in January.

Wei Fenghe served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023, while Li Shangfu succeeded him but was removed from office in October 2023 after just a few months.

The Communist Party expelled both men from its ranks in 2024, and Li's replacement, Dong Jun, continues to serve as defence minister. The court's decision is seen as a further consolidation of Xi's power and control among the political elite.

The immediate outlook is that the sentences will likely be commuted to life in prison, as is often the case in China. The Chinese government is expected to continue its anti-corruption drive, with further investigations and prosecutions possible in the coming weeks.