Tang Renjian, China’s former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of accepting massive bribes totaling $37.6 million over a 17-year period from 2007 to 2024. The ruling was handed down as part of President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted thousands of officials across all levels of government.

According to the court, Tang used his various high-ranking positions to provide business favors, secure project approvals, and facilitate promotions in exchange for money and luxury gifts. His actions were deemed especially egregious due to the scale of the bribes and the damage done to the integrity of China’s rural development and agricultural policies.

While the death sentence includes a two-year reprieve — a common practice in China that may later be commuted to life imprisonment — the severity of the punishment signals the government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption. Tang’s fall from grace marks another high-profile case in Beijing’s sweeping effort to restore public trust and tighten discipline within the Communist Party ranks.