China Sentences Former Agriculture Minister Tang Renjian to Death for Corruption

China’s former Agriculture minister, Tang Renjian, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve after a court found him guilty of taking massive bribes, the People’s Court of Changchun in Jilin province announced on Sunday.

The court said Tang accepted more than 268 million yuan ($38 million) in cash and property between 2007 and 2024.

Judges ruled that the scale of his crimes inflicted “particularly severe losses to the interests of the state and the people, and therefore warranted the death penalty.”

According to the ruling, Tang admitted guilt and expressed remorse, factors that allowed the sentence to be suspended. In China, death penalties with reprieve are often commuted to life imprisonment if the offender demonstrates good behaviour.

Tang’s conviction adds to the long list of senior officials brought down by President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted figures across government, the military, and state-owned enterprises.

Supporters of Xi’s drive argue that the campaign strengthens accountability and clean governance. Critics, however, believe it also functions as a tool to sideline political opponents and consolidate power.

Tang previously served as governor of Gansu province and vice chairman of the Guangxi autonomous region before becoming agriculture minister.

His downfall comes amid a series of high-profile graft cases in China’s defence establishment. Former defence ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe both faced corruption probes.

Li was removed from office just seven months into the role and later expelled from the Communist Party for alleged bribery. His successor, Dong Jun, has also reportedly come under investigation.