China’s former minister of agriculture and rural affairs, Tang Renjian, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on Sunday after accepting cash and property bribes totaling more than 268 million yuan between 2007 and 2024.
The Intermediate People’s Court of Changchun ruled that Tang’s misconduct inflicted “particularly severe losses to the interests of the state and the people,” warranting the death penalty. Judges suspended the execution for two years, noting his full confession and demonstration of remorse; under Chinese practice, a suspended sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment if no further offenses occur during the reprieve period.
Tang, who previously governed Gansu province and served as vice chairman of the Guangxi autonomous region, was expelled from the Communist Party in November 2024 after a six-month anti-graft probe. His fall mirrors recent investigations into ex-defence ministers Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, as well as the reported inquiry into Li’s successor, Dong Jun.
Widely seen as part of President Xi Jinping’s intensified anti-corruption campaign, Tang’s sentencing underscores Beijing’s dual pledge to enforce clean governance while fueling critical debate over whether the drive also enables political purges of President Xi Jinping’s opponents.
