Former Chinese justice minister Tang Yijun sentenced to life for taking $19.7 million in bribes, marking another high-profile conviction in Xi’s anti-graft campaign.
BEIJING: A Chinese court has sentenced former justice minister Tang Yijun to life in prison for corruption. The Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court found him guilty of accepting bribes totalling 137 million yuan ($19.7 million) between 2006 and 2022.
Tang, 64, served as China’s justice minister from 2020 to 2023. He previously held roles as governor of Liaoning province and head of the Chinese Communist Party for Ningbo.
The court stated Tang abused his official positions to “obtain benefits for various entities and individuals.” He helped with matters like initial public offerings, bank loans, and land acquisition in exchange for payment.
The bribe amount was described as “particularly high” and caused “extremely serious damage to the interests of the state and the people.” The court noted mitigating factors, including Tang’s confession, remorse, guilty plea, and cooperation.
His conviction is part of President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which began in 2012. Critics say the purge also serves to eliminate political rivals.
Another former justice minister, Fu Zhenghua, was convicted in 2022. He initially received a death sentence with a two-year reprieve, later commuted to life imprisonment.
Last month, authorities launched an anti-corruption probe into China’s most powerful general, Zhang Youxia. He is the highest-ranking military figure targeted in decades.
