Former Chinese minister gets life term for bribery

A court in China has sentenced a former justice minister to life in prison after finding him guilty of accepting bribes totalling almost $20 million over more than a decade. Tang Yijun was China's justice minister from 2020 to 2023 and held various other positions during his career, including governor of Liaoning province and head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the city of Ningbo.
President Xi Jinping has waged a sweeping anti-corruption purge since coming to power in 2012, a crackdown that critics say allows him to eliminate potential political rivals. The Intermediate People’s Court of Xiamen City in Fujian Province ruled that Tang had accepted bribes worth more than 137 million yuan (around US$23 million) while holding various senior positions between 2006 and 2022. The court found that the 64-year-old abused his authority while serving as governor of Liaoning Province from 2017 to 2020 and later as China’s minister of justice from 2020 to 2023. During that period, Tang allegedly used his influence to benefit institutions and individuals in matters including initial public offerings, land repurchases, bank loans, and judicial case handling.
In addition to the life sentence, the court revoked Tang’s political rights for life and ordered the confiscation of all his personal assets. Authorities said any remaining proceeds from corruption that have not yet been recovered will continue to be pursued.Tang’s downfall began in April 2024, when China’s top anti-corruption watchdog launched an investigation into him for “extremely serious damage to the interests of the state and the people.” Six months later, he was expelled from the CCP and removed from public office.