A court in eastern China has sentenced former senior official Yang Youlin to death after finding him guilty of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan (approximately $325 million or £243 million) in bribes over a 30-year period.
The 69-year-old was convicted of bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering following an investigation that uncovered one of the country’s largest corruption cases in recent years.
According to Chinese state media, Yang held various senior positions in Nanjing between 1993 and 2023, where he used his influence to help businesses and individuals secure engineering contracts, land transfers, financing and other commercial advantages in exchange for cash, gifts and other valuables.
The Intermediate People’s Court in Changzhou ruled that Yang’s crimes were “extremely serious,” stating that his actions caused “exceptionally heavy losses to the interests of the state and the people.”
Yang was investigated as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted senior government officials, military officers, financial executives and Communist Party members across China.
Since taking office, Xi has made anti-corruption one of the defining priorities of his administration. While supporters say the campaign has strengthened government accountability, critics argue it has also been used to sideline political opponents.
Although China regularly prosecutes officials for corruption, death sentences for financial crimes remain relatively uncommon and are generally reserved for cases involving exceptionally large sums.
In 2021, former Lai Xiaomin was executed after being convicted of accepting approximately 1.8 billion yuan in bribes over a decade.
In 2024, former Li Jianping was also executed after being found guilty of embezzlement and bribery involving more than 3 billion yuan.
Many other corruption cases result in lengthy prison terms or suspended death sentences, which are often commuted to life imprisonment after a specified period if the offender demonstrates good behaviour.
The court acknowledged that Yang cooperated with investigators and provided information about other offenders. However, judges ruled that the seriousness of his crimes outweighed any mitigating factors and that his assistance was insufficient to justify a reduced sentence.
State media reported that Yang pleaded guilty during the proceedings and expressed remorse in his final statement before the court delivered its judgment.
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