Changchun, China – A Chinese court has sentenced former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tang Renjian, to death with a two-year reprieve after finding him guilty of accepting bribes worth more than US$38 million (Sh38 billion).
The Intermediate People’s Court in Changchun, Jilin Province, delivered the ruling on Sunday, permanently stripping Tang of his political rights and ordering the confiscation of all his personal assets and illicit wealth. Judges found that between 2007 and 2024, Tang exploited his positions of power, including his tenure as Governor of Gansu Province and later as Minister, to help individuals and companies secure lucrative business contracts, win project bids, and obtain promotions in exchange for massive kickbacks.
Court records showed Tang received over 268 million yuan in cash, real estate, and other assets. Prosecutors argued that his actions inflicted grave harm on state and public interests, undermining governance and eroding public trust. The judges ruled that the scale and severity of the corruption warranted a death sentence, though with reprieve, meaning the penalty could be commuted to life imprisonment if Tang demonstrates good behavior over the next two years.
The 63-year-old pleaded guilty during his July trial, expressing remorse and apologising in his final statement. He also returned a significant portion of the illicit funds. These mitigating factors were cited by the court as reasons not to impose an immediate execution.
Tang’s downfall comes amid President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign, described as the most far-reaching in modern Chinese history. In January, Xi warned that graft remained the single biggest threat to the survival of the Communist Party, vowing to intensify the crackdown. Tang, once a rising star in the Party hierarchy, was placed under investigation in May 2024, expelled from the Party in November, and indicted on bribery charges in April 2025.
The case has shocked the nation, not only for the staggering sums involved but also for the high office Tang once held. Analysts note that the ruling reflects Beijing’s determination to send a strong signal that even senior officials are not immune from punishment.
“This is not just about one man; it is about the Party reasserting discipline and control,” said political analyst Dr. Li Wei in Beijing. “The suspended death sentence shows the balance: harshness to deter corruption, tempered with the possibility of commutation if the official cooperates fully.”
For millions of ordinary Chinese, Tang’s sentencing underscores both the scale of entrenched corruption and the state’s unyielding campaign to root it out. The verdict also highlights a recurring theme in Xi’s governance, using high-profile convictions to reinforce the Party’s legitimacy and authority.
Tang’s fate now rests on whether his sentence is commuted after the reprieve period. But for China’s leadership, the message has already been delivered: corruption, especially at the highest levels of government, will be met with unforgiving force.
