A Chinese court has sentenced former Justice Minister Tang Yijun to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of accepting bribes worth nearly $20 million over a 16-year period, the latest high-profile conviction in President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign.
The Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court in eastern China announced the verdict on Monday, stating that Tang, 64, abused his position to secure benefits for individuals and companies between 2006 and 2022.
Tang, who served as Justice Minister from 2020 to 2023, previously held senior roles including Governor of Liaoning Province and Communist Party chief of Ningbo City.
According to the court, Tang used “the advantages associated with the positions he successively held” to assist others in securing bank loans, acquiring land, gaining approvals for initial public offerings, and advancing various business interests. In return, he allegedly received 137 million yuan ($19.7 million) in bribes.
The court described the amount as “particularly high,” saying Tang’s actions caused “extremely serious damage to the interests of the state and the people.”
However, judges noted that Tang’s cooperation, confession, and remorse were taken into consideration during sentencing.
His conviction follows a similar case in 2022 involving another former justice minister, Fu Zhenghua, who was given a suspended death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment for corruption.
Tang’s sentencing comes amid renewed efforts by Beijing to root out corruption within the Communist Party and government institutions. Just last month, authorities announced a probe into General Zhang Youxia, one of China’s most senior military officials — marking the most significant anti-graft move in the armed forces in years.
The ruling underscores Xi Jinping’s continued push to maintain strict discipline within the party ranks — a campaign that, while widely publicized as a fight against graft, has also been criticized by observers as a means of consolidating political power.
