China Sentences Former Nanjing Official to Death Over $325 Million Bribery and Corruption Case
BEIJING, China — A court in eastern China has sentenced former senior government official Yang Youlin to death after convicting him of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan (approximately $325 million) in bribes over a period spanning three decades.
The ruling, delivered by the Intermediate People’s Court in Changzhou, also found the 69-year-old guilty of embezzlement, abuse of power, and money laundering, making it one of China’s largest corruption cases in recent years.
Former Nanjing Official Convicted in Massive Corruption Scheme
According to Chinese state media, Yang served in several senior positions in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, between 1993 and 2023.
During that time, prosecutors said he abused his authority to help individuals and companies obtain engineering contracts, land-use approvals, financing arrangements and other government benefits in exchange for cash, gifts and other valuables.
The court ruled that Yang’s crimes were “extremely serious” and caused significant financial losses to the state and the public.
Court Rejects Leniency Despite Guilty Plea
Although Yang admitted to the offences, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse during the proceedings, the court concluded that the scale of his crimes outweighed any mitigating factors.
Judges acknowledged that he had cooperated with investigators during the inquiry, but ruled that his assistance was insufficient to justify a lighter sentence.
The court therefore imposed the death penalty for the corruption offences.
Xi Jinping’s Anti-Corruption Campaign Continues
Yang’s conviction comes as part of President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted thousands of officials across government, the military, state-owned enterprises and the financial sector.
Since assuming office, Xi has positioned the anti-graft campaign as a central pillar of his administration, pledging to eliminate corruption at all levels of government.
Supporters argue the campaign has strengthened accountability within China’s public institutions, while critics contend it has also been used to sideline political opponents.
Death Penalty for Major Corruption Cases
Although China frequently prosecutes officials for corruption, death sentences remain relatively uncommon and are generally reserved for cases involving exceptionally large sums or particularly serious abuse of public office.
In 2021, former state-owned financial executive Lai Xiaomin was executed after being convicted of accepting approximately 1.8 billion yuan in bribes.
More recently, former Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping was executed after being found guilty of embezzlement and bribery involving more than 3 billion yuan.
In many other corruption cases, Chinese courts have imposed suspended death sentences or life imprisonment, particularly where defendants cooperate with investigators or assist in exposing other crimes.
Yang’s case, however, was deemed so severe that the court concluded the death penalty was the appropriate punishment.
The judgment underscores China’s continued tough stance against large-scale corruption as authorities pursue high-profile officials accused of abusing public office for personal gain.
