China has executed Li Jianping, a former official from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, for his involvement in the largest corruption case in the country’s history, involving illegal gains exceeding $421 million.
Li, who served as the secretary of the ruling Communist Party’s working committee for the Hohhot Economic and Technological Development Zone, was sentenced to death in September 2022, a verdict upheld on appeal in August 2024. The execution, approved by the Supreme People’s Court, was carried out on Tuesday by a court in Inner Mongolia, as reported by state-run Xinhua News Agency.
At the age of 64, Li was convicted of embezzling over three billion yuan ($421 million), marking the largest financial sum involved in a single corruption case in Chinese history.
The execution underscores President Xi Jinping’s rigorous anti-corruption campaign, which has been a key element of his administration since he assumed office in 2012. Official reports indicate that more than one million party officials, including two former defense ministers and numerous military personnel, have faced punishment under the campaign.
Despite these efforts, corruption among high-ranking officials persists. According to the South China Morning Post, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) investigated 45 senior officials, or “tigers,” last year, a figure that has already risen to 54 this year.
Li’s case serves as a stark reminder of the Chinese government’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption and its resolve to address the issue at all levels of governance.
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