Fate of China’s ex-defence heads shows party won’t allow disloyalty: state media

The tough sentences handed to former defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu showed that Beijing had no tolerance for people with divided loyalties, the Chinese military’s official newspaper said on Friday.

The PLA Daily commentary marks the first time an official outlet has accused Li of being disloyal.

“The military wields the gun and there must be no one who harbours disloyalty to the party,” the editorial said.

“As senior party and military leaders, Wei and Li showed a collapse of faith and a loss of loyalty, betraying their original aspirations and missions and abandoning party principles.”

Both men were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, the statement said. After the two-year period, their sentences would be commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of commutation or parole, it added.