Tuesday, February 3, 2026 - A Chinese court on Monday, February 2, sentenced a former justice minister to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of accepting bribes totaling nearly $20 million over more than a decade.
Tang Yijun, 64, served as China’s justice minister from 2020
to 2023 and held several senior roles during his career, including governor of
Liaoning province and Communist Party chief of Ningbo city.
According to a statement by the Xiamen Intermediate People’s
Court in eastern China, Tang abused the authority of the positions he held
between 2006 and 2022 to secure benefits for individuals and companies. In
return for payments, he assisted with matters such as initial public offerings,
bank loan approvals, land acquisitions and other business interests.
The court said Tang received bribes totaling 137 million yuan
(about $19.7 million), describing the amount as “particularly high” and noting
that his actions caused “extremely serious damage” to the interests of the
state and the public.
Despite the severity of the offence, the court cited
mitigating factors, including Tang’s confession after his arrest, expression of
remorse, guilty plea and cooperation with investigators.
President Xi Jinping has led an extensive anti-corruption
campaign since taking power in 2012, a drive that has resulted in the
prosecution of numerous high-ranking officials. Critics argue the campaign has
also been used to remove potential political rivals.
Tang is the latest former justice minister to be convicted.
In 2022, Fu Zhenghua was found guilty of corruption and initially sentenced to
death with a two-year reprieve, later commuted to life imprisonment.
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