NANJING, China — A court in eastern China has sentenced a former senior municipal official to death after finding him guilty of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan (about $325 million) in bribes over three decades, in one of the country’s largest corruption cases in recent years.
Yang Youlin, 69, who held a series of influential government positions in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, between 1993 and 2023, was convicted of bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering, according to a ruling issued by the Intermediate People’s Court in Changzhou.
Chinese state media reported that Yang used his authority to help companies and individuals secure engineering contracts, land-use approvals, financing arrangements and other commercial advantages in exchange for cash, gifts and valuable assets.
The court said Yang’s crimes were “extremely serious” and caused “exceptionally heavy losses to the interests of the state and the people.”
One of China’s largest corruption cases
The amount involved places Yang among the most significant corruption offenders prosecuted during President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-graft campaign, which has targeted officials across government, the military, state-owned enterprises and the financial sector.
According to Chinese authorities, Yang accumulated illicit wealth over a period of approximately 30 years while serving in key economic and development positions in Nanjing.
Investigators found that he repeatedly abused public office for personal gain, leveraging his influence over major investment and infrastructure projects.
The court ordered the confiscation of Yang’s illegal assets and directed that the proceeds be returned to the state treasury.
Anti-corruption drive continues
Since assuming office in 2012, President Xi has overseen the most extensive anti-corruption campaign in modern Chinese history. Officially, the campaign is aimed at restoring public trust in government and combating systemic corruption.
Chinese authorities say millions of officials have faced disciplinary action, while hundreds of senior political, military and corporate figures have been prosecuted.
However, critics, including some international analysts and human rights groups, have argued that anti-corruption investigations have at times coincided with broader political efforts to consolidate power and remove rivals within the Communist Party.
Death penalty rare but not unprecedented
While China frequently prosecutes corruption cases, death sentences for financial crimes remain relatively uncommon and are generally reserved for exceptionally large-scale offences involving enormous sums of money or significant harm to state interests.
Yang’s case joins a small number of high-profile corruption prosecutions that have resulted in capital punishment.
In 2021, former state-owned financial executive Lai Xiaomin was executed after being convicted of taking approximately 1.8 billion yuan in bribes.
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In another major case, former Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping was executed in 2024 after being found guilty of corruption and embezzlement involving more than 3 billion yuan.
More commonly, Chinese courts impose suspended death sentences, which are typically commuted to life imprisonment after a specified period if the offender demonstrates good behaviour.
Court rejects leniency request
Chinese media reported that Yang cooperated with investigators and provided information during the investigation. In some corruption cases, such cooperation has resulted in reduced sentences.
However, the Changzhou court ruled that the scale and seriousness of Yang’s crimes outweighed any mitigating factors.
“The offences were particularly grave, and the assistance provided by the defendant was insufficient to warrant a more lenient punishment,” the court said.
State media reported that Yang pleaded guilty and expressed remorse during the proceedings.
The ruling represents another high-profile outcome in China’s ongoing campaign against corruption as authorities continue pursuing cases involving senior government officials and large-scale financial misconduct.
