A Chinese court has sentenced a former government official to death on corruption charges after finding him guilty of accepting more than 2.21 billion yuan, or almost $325 million in bribes over a decade, reports said on Tuesday. The ex-official is accused of accepting bribes over a three decade period and the probe against him was conducted under President Xi Jinping’s anti-graft crackdown.
According to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), Yang Youlin, the former vice director of an economic zone in the eastern city of Nanjing, accepted the bribes between 2013 and 2023.
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Multiple convictions in the case
In addition to bribery, Yang was found guilty of embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering, CCTV reported, citing the Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu province. The court said Yang’s crimes were “exceptionally grave” and caused massive losses.
Death sentences for economic offenses are not common in China. However, Bloomberg reported that the country has executed two former officials at China Huarong International Holdings Ltd., one of the nation’s largest managers of bad debt, since 2021 as part of President Xi’s long-running campaign against financial crimes.
The latest actions add to a series of high-profile anti-corruption cases pursued during Xi’s presidency, with authorities continuing to target both financial misconduct and abuse of public office.
Xi reaffirms commitment to anti-corruption campaign
The sentence comes shortly after Xi reaffirmed his government’s commitment to fighting corruption.
During a speech marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party last week, Xi highlighted his signature anti-corruption campaign, which has led to investigations involving an unprecedented number of military and civilian officials.
The Chinese president said the Communist Party is determined to “eliminate all viruses that erode its health,” underscoring the leadership’s continued focus on rooting out corruption within the party and government institutions.
The anti-graft campaign remains one of Xi’s promising policy initiatives, with authorities continuing to pursue officials accused of corruption and financial crimes. The death sentence given to Yang Youlin stands out as one of the most severe punishments imposed in a corruption case, reflecting the government’s stance against offenses it considers having caused significant public and economic harm.
