China: Former Political Adviser Sentenced to Suspended Death for Bribery

Less than a week after Chinese authorities sentenced a tech mogul to death, a Chinese court handed down the death penalty to a former senior national political adviser for accepting bribes and illicitly profiting.

A suspended death sentence gives Han Yong, 68, a two-year reprieve from execution. Under Chinese law, the sentence is automatically commuted to life imprisonment if he commits no further crimes during the two-year period, according to the ruling by the Nanning Intermediate People's Court. 

The court found Han guilty of accepting 261 million yuan ($36.2 million), including property, in bribes over the course of 30 years, from 1993 to 2023. In exchange, he abused his high-profile positions in the provinces of Jilin, Xinjiang, and Shaanxi to illegally assist companies and individuals with business operations, project contracting, and personnel arrangements.

In addition to the death sentence, the court ruled that Han should be stripped of his political rights for life and have all his personal property confiscated. As for the property and assets he received through bribery, they have been transferred to the state treasury.

During his public career, Han held various positions, including chairperson of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and vice director of the Committee of Population, Resources, and Environment of the CPPCC National Committee.

The court sentenced Han to a suspended death penalty given that he admitted to his crimes, disclosed details that were not revealed during the investigation, pleaded guilty, and voluntarily returned his illicit gains.

Han’s legal troubles date back to October 2023, when he was placed under investigation for “serious violations of laws and regulations.” The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission, China's highest anti-corruption agency, conducted the investigation. In April 2024, he was expelled from the  Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over his violations.

This is the second suspended death sentence for corruption that China has handed down this month. Last week, a Chinese court sentenced Zhao Weiguo, the former chairman of the Chinese semiconductor giant Tsinghua Unigroup, to death for financial crimes, including embezzlement, seeking illegal profits, and breach of trust.