Two former Chinese defence ministers have been handed suspended death sentences by a military court on Thursday, following accusations of bribery.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported that Wei Fenghe was found guilty of accepting bribes, receiving a death sentence with a two-year reprieve. Li Shangfu faced the same punishment after being convicted of both accepting and offering bribes. In China, such suspended sentences are frequently commuted to life imprisonment.

The sentences are the latest in Chinese President Xi Jinping ’s campaign of purging senior officials. Xi started an anti-corruption drive more than a decade ago and his drive has continued unabated, culminating in the removal of China ’s highest ranking general and military leadership in January.…