A court in eastern China has sentenced a former government official to death for accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan (approximately US$325 million) in bribes over a period of nearly 30 years.
According to Chinese state media, Yang Yulin, 69, who held various government positions in the city of Nanjing between 1993 and 2023, was found guilty not only of accepting bribes but also of embezzling public funds, abusing his authority, and money laundering.
Reports say Yang exploited his official positions to help individuals secure contracts for development projects, land transfers, and financial assistance in exchange for large sums of money and valuable gifts.
The investigation was conducted as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s nationwide anti-corruption campaign, under which senior officials in the military, banking sector, and other key industries have also been investigated.
In its ruling on Monday, the Changzhou court said Yang’s crimes were “extremely serious” and had caused “extraordinary harm to the interests of the state and the public.”
Since Xi Jinping came to power, China has launched several anti-corruption campaigns. However, critics argue that these campaigns have at times also been used to target political opponents.
Although the death penalty is relatively rare in China for financial crimes such as white-collar corruption, it has occasionally been imposed in cases involving corruption worth more than 1 billion yuan.
Previously, in 2021, Lai Xiaomin, the former head of a Chinese financial institution, was sentenced to death and executed after being convicted of accepting 1.8 billion yuan in bribes over a period of 10 years.
The Changzhou court stated that although Yang cooperated with investigators during the investigation, the severity of his crimes was so great that his cooperation was insufficient to warrant a lighter sentence. According to state media, Yang confessed to his crimes in court and expressed remorse in his final statement.
Iran Says No Final Deal Talks With US While Threats Continue
