Tang Renjian, former Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, has been handed a suspended death sentence for accepting massive bribes, state media reported on Sunday.
According to Xinhua, the Changchun Intermediate People’s Court in Jilin province found Tang guilty of taking cash and property valued at more than 268 million yuan (approximately $37.6 million) between 2007 and 2024 while holding various government positions.
The court ruled that Tang’s death sentence would be suspended for two years, citing his confession and cooperation during the investigation.
Tang was expelled from the Communist Party in November 2024, months after China’s anti-graft watchdog placed him under investigation and he was removed from his ministerial post.
A longtime government official, Tang previously served as governor of Gansu province from 2017 to 2020 before being appointed agriculture minister.
His conviction comes under President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption drive, which has intensified since 2020 to ensure loyalty and discipline within the state and party apparatus. Earlier this year, Xi warned that corruption remains the gravest threat to the Communist Party’s survival.
