A court in China on Monday handed a life prison sentence to a former minister of justice after ruling that he was guilty of receiving bribes amounting to nearly $20 million over a period spanning more than ten years.
The defendant, Tang Yijun, aged 64, served as China’s justice minister between 2020 and 2023.
Over the course of his political career, he also occupied several influential roles, including governor of Liaoning province and secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the eastern city of Ningbo.
Since assuming power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has overseen an extensive anti-corruption campaign across China. While the drive has led to the prosecution of numerous senior officials, critics argue that it has also been used as a tool to sideline perceived political opponents.
According to a statement issued by the Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court in eastern China, Tang exploited “the advantages associated with the positions he successively held” to “obtain benefits for various entities and individuals” over a period stretching from 2006 to 2022.
The court explained that, in return for financial rewards, the former minister provided assistance to individuals and companies in areas such as facilitating initial public offerings, helping to secure bank loans, acquiring land, and handling other related matters.
Investigators found that Tang received a total of 137 million yuan, equivalent to about $19.7 million, in illegal payments.
The court described the bribes as “particularly high”, noting that Tang’s actions caused “extremely serious damage to the interests of the state and the people”.
Despite the severity of the offences, the court said it considered several mitigating factors when determining the sentence. These included Tang’s confession following his arrest, his expression of remorse, his guilty plea, and his cooperation with investigators throughout the probe.
Tang is not the first former justice minister to face such consequences. In 2022, Fu Zhenghua, who previously held the same office, was convicted on corruption charges. Fu was initially sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, a punishment that was later reduced to life imprisonment.
China’s anti-corruption drive has continued to reach into the highest levels of government and the military.
Just last month, authorities revealed that they had opened a corruption investigation into Zhang Youxia, one of the country’s most powerful generals and the highest-ranking military official to be targeted in recent decades.
What you should know
The life sentence handed to Tang Yijun underscores the continued intensity of China’s anti-corruption campaign under President Xi Jinping.
Tang’s conviction adds to a growing list of senior officials prosecuted for graft, including former justice minister Fu Zhenghua. The case highlights how corruption investigations in China now extend across political, administrative, and military leadership.
While authorities frame the crackdown as essential to protecting state and public interests, critics maintain that it also serves to consolidate political power by removing influential figures within the system.
