A Chinese court has sentenced former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tang Renjian, to a suspended death sentence for a massive bribery case.

The verdict, announced by the Changchun Intermediate People’s Court in Jilin province on Sunday, found Tang guilty of accepting over 268 million yuan (approximately $38 million) in bribes.

The court ruled that the bribes “caused particularly severe losses to the interests of the state and the people, and therefore warranted the death penalty”.

However, the sentence was suspended for two years, a common practice in China for high-profile cases where the punishment can be commuted to life imprisonment if the convict shows remorse and good behavior. Tang reportedly confessed to his crimes, expressed regret, and returned his illicit gains, which the court cited as mitigating factors for the reprieve.

Supporters of Xi’s anti-corruption drive say the campaign promotes clean governance, but critics argue it provides the president with the power to purge political rivals.

Tang previously served as governor of the northwestern province of Gansu, as well as the vice chairman of southern autonomous region of Guangxi.

The sentencing of Tang Renjian is a significant development in President Xi Jinping’s ongoing and widespread anti-corruption campaign, which has vowed to punish both “tigers and flies” referring to high-ranking and low-ranking officials. Tang was placed under investigation in May 2024 and was expelled from the Communist Party months later.