A Chinese court has sentenced Yang Youlin, a former senior official in the eastern city of Nanjing, to death for accepting bribes totaling more than 2.2 billion yuan ($324 million). The Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu province announced the ruling on Monday, citing crimes committed between 1993 and 2023.
According to the court’s statement, Yang accepted money and property in exchange for facilitating business operations, land grants, project contracts, and working capital. Beyond bribery, Yang was convicted of embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power, and money laundering. The court confirmed that all of Yang’s personal property will be seized, and authorities intend to recover the full illicit amount.
During the sentencing, the court noted that Yang expressed remorse for his actions. The case, which involved public hearings held in March and April, is being viewed as one of the most significant corruption trials in recent years due to the unprecedented scale of the financial misconduct.
The sentencing is part of President Xi Jinping’s long-running anti-corruption campaign. While the government presents these measures as essential to maintaining integrity, critics have frequently argued that the campaign is also utilized to consolidate power and remove political rivals. Yang joins a list of high-profile officials to receive capital punishment for corruption, including the 2024 execution of Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping and the 2021 execution of former state-owned company executive Lai Xiaomin.