Former Chinese Minister sentenced to death for taking bribes

Zuko Komisa

Former Chinese Minister Tang Renjian has been given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve for accepting over R647.6 million in bribes while holding high office.
The court found that Tang exploited his positions from 2007 to 2024 to assist others in business operations and project contracting in exchange for illicit payments.
This high-profile sentencing marks the latest significant move in President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption drive targeting senior government and military officials.

A former Chinese minister has been handed a suspended death sentence for taking vast sums in bribes, according to reports from state media.

Tang Renjian, who served as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, was sentenced by a court in Jilin province on Sunday.

The sentence carries a two-year reprieve, a common practice in China that typically commutes the punishment to life imprisonment if the individual exhibits good behaviour during that period.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported that the court found Tang guilty of exploiting his various high-level positions between 2007 and 2024.

He is said to have offered assistance in areas such as business operations, project contracting, and job adjustments in exchange for illicit payments.

The total value of the money and gifts Tang accepted exceeded 268 million yuan, which equates to approximately R647.6 million

Tang’s downfall began last May when the Chinese Communist Party’s powerful anti-graft watchdog announced he was under investigation for “suspected violations of discipline and law.” He was removed from his ministerial post around four months later.