Former Chinese provincial governor sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over $22 million in bribes

Jin Xiangjun, the former governor of China’s Shanxi province, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve after taking more than 148 million yuan, about $22 million, in bribes, according to a court in Henan province.

The 62-year-old official allegedly used a succession of positions between 2004 and 2025 to help people obtain promotions and win contracts. The court described the amount as especially large and said his conduct caused serious losses to the state and the public.

The sentence carries the death penalty, but the execution has been suspended for two years. Under Chinese rules, such sentences are usually commuted to life imprisonment after two years if the defendant commits no further crimes. Jin was also stripped of his political rights for life.

Court-published images showed Jin wearing glasses and dark clothing as he stood before the judicial panel, flanked by police. At a public hearing in June, the court said, he "expressed regret and remorse" and voluntarily disclosed additional details. The court said those actions helped persuade it not to carry out the execution immediately. Authorities have recovered some of the money and property obtained through the bribery.

Jin is the latest senior official caught up in the broad anti-corruption campaign led by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xinhua reported on Aug. 28 that Zhang Youxia, a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, its former chief of the Joint Staff Department, had been removed and investigated for what China calls "serious violations of discipline and law."

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expressed regret and remorse