Beijing – A Chinese court has handed down a death sentence with a two-year reprieve to former Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Tang Renjian after finding him guilty of accepting bribes worth more than 268 million yuan (approximately $38 million).
The ruling was delivered by the People’s Court of Changchun in Jilin Province, which announced on Sunday that Tang had engaged in widespread corruption over a 17-year period, from 2007 to 2024. According to the court, Tang received both cash and property bribes in exchange for using his official positions to grant favors, secure contracts, and influence decisions that benefitted individuals and companies.
In its judgment, the court stated that Tang’s actions had “caused particularly severe losses to the interests of the state and the people,” noting that the magnitude of the corruption warranted the maximum punishment. However, the sentence was commuted to a two-year reprieve, a practice common in China for senior officials convicted of corruption. Under this arrangement, if Tang demonstrates good behavior during the reprieve period, the death penalty is typically reduced to life imprisonment without parole.
The court also noted that Tang had confessed to his crimes during the investigation, cooperated with authorities, and expressed remorse for his actions, factors that influenced the decision to suspend the immediate execution of the sentence.
Tang, 61, served in several high-level positions within the Chinese government before his appointment as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2020, a role in which he oversaw key agricultural reforms and rural development programs. His downfall marks one of the most high-profile corruption cases in recent years within the ministry.
The conviction underscores the Chinese government’s continued anti-corruption campaign under President Xi Jinping, which has targeted thousands of officials across various levels of government and state enterprises since its launch in 2012. The campaign, often described by Beijing as a fight against both “tigers and flies,” has seen a number of senior figures in finance, defense, and energy face prosecution.
Observers say Tang’s sentencing reflects the leadership’s uncompromising stance on corruption, particularly in sectors that directly affect food security, rural livelihoods, and national economic stability.
