China shocks the world: Former agriculture minister sentenced to death by Xi Jinping’s govt

Beijing (The Uttam Hindu): President Xi Jinping's crackdown on corruption is evident from the fact that China's former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tang Renjian, was sentenced to death on Sunday for accepting a bribe of US$38 million. However, he was also given a two-year life sentence.

China has commuted the death sentence of its former agriculture minister to two years of life imprisonment. This means Tang Renjian's sentence will not be executed for two years. The Intermediate People's Court of Changchun, in northeastern China's Jilin Province, ruled that Tang has been stripped of his political rights for life. The court said that all of Tang's assets will be confiscated and any illegal bribery profits will be recovered and deposited into the national treasury.

The court said that between 2007 and 2024, Tang took improper advantage of his various positions at both the central and local levels. In return, he accepted money and valuables worth more than 268 million yuan (about US$38 million), the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Tang admitted his crimes and expressed remorse in his final statement. The court ruled that the death penalty was appropriate for Tang's crimes. The case was heard in court on July 25, the report said.