China’s Former Agriculture Minister Receives Death Sentence with Two-Year Reprieve for Massive Bribery

Beijing, China – 28 September 2025

 A Chinese court has handed former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Tang Renjian a death sentence with a two-year reprieve after finding him guilty of accepting bribes totaling about 268 million yuan (approximately US $38 million), according to official Chinese court statements.

Tang, who served as national agriculture minister until his detention in late 2023, was convicted of using his positions in several senior government roles to illegally obtain financial benefits for others in exchange for vast cash payments and property.

The court ruled that Tang’s crimes were “especially serious,” citing the extraordinarily large sums involved and the abuse of high office. Under China’s legal system, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve typically means the sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment if the convict demonstrates good behavior during the reprieve period.

In addition to the suspended death penalty, the court ordered the permanent confiscation of Tang’s personal assets and stripped him of all political rights for life.

Tang’s conviction comes amid President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted thousands of officials across government, the military, and state-owned enterprises. The campaign, now in its second decade, remains a cornerstone of the Chinese leadership’s promise to maintain party discipline and curb high-level graft.

The ruling underscores Beijing’s continued use of the death penalty, albeit often suspended in high-profile corruption cases as a deterrent and a signal of the government’s zero-tolerance stance on official malfeasance.