The tough sentences handed to former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu showed that Beijing had no tolerance for people with divided loyalties, the Chinese military’s official newspaper said on Friday.
The PLA Daily commentary marks the first time an official outlet has accused Li of being disloyal.
“The military wields the gun and there must be no one who harbours disloyalty to the party,” the editorial said.
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“As senior party and military leaders, Wei and Li showed a collapse of faith and a loss of loyalty, betraying their original aspirations and missions and abandoning party principles.”
According to a statement published by state news agency Xinhua on Thursday, Wei and Li were given suspended death sentences after being found guilty of corruption. The sentences are the harshest handed down to senior People’s Liberation Army leaders since President Xi Jinping launched his anti-corruption campaign in 2012.
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Both men were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, the statement said. After the two-year period, their sentences would be commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of commutation or parole, it added.