A court in eastern China has sentenced former Nanjing official Yang Youlin to death after finding him guilty of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan (about $325 million) in bribes over three decades.
Yang, 69, who held several positions in Nanjing between 1993 and 2023, was also convicted of embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering. Authorities said he used his offices to help individuals obtain engineering contracts, land transfers and financing in exchange for cash and other valuables.
The court in Changzhou ruled that Yang’s crimes were “of an extremely serious nature” and “caused exceptionally heavy losses to the interests of the state and the people.”
His prosecution forms part of President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted senior officials across sectors including the military and financial industry. While supporters describe the campaign as an effort to tackle graft, critics argue it has also been used to sideline political opponents.
Although death sentences for financial crimes are uncommon in China, they are occasionally imposed in cases involving exceptionally large sums. Former finance executive Lai Xiaomin was executed in 2021 after being convicted of accepting 1.8 billion yuan in bribes, while former Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping was executed in 2024 for corruption involving more than 3 billion yuan.
Chinese courts often impose prison terms or suspended death sentences in corruption cases, with some punishments later reduced for offenders who cooperate with investigators. However, the Changzhou court said that although Yang assisted authorities, the seriousness of his crimes meant his cooperation “was insufficient to warrant a more lenient punishment.”
Yang pleaded guilty and expressed remorse during his final statement, according to Chinese state media.
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