China sentences ex-agriculture minister to death with reprieve in $37.6m bribery scandal

China’s former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tang Renjian, has been handed a death sentence with a two-year reprieve after being found guilty of accepting bribes worth more than 268 million yuan ($37.6 million).

The Changchun Intermediate People’s Court in Jilin province delivered the ruling, noting that Tang abused his public office for personal gain between 2007 and 2024.

Tang, who once served as governor of Gansu province, was expelled from the Communist Party in November 2024 after a rapid investigation.

His conviction adds to a growing list of high-profile cases under President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption crackdown, which has already implicated senior military and defense officials.