CHANGZHOU (Agencies) – A Chinese court has sentenced former Nanjing city official Yang Youlin to death after finding him guilty of in bribery case of more than 2.2 billion yuan ($325 million) over three decades, state media reported.
Yang, 69, was convicted of bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering by a court in Changzhou city in eastern China. Authorities said he exploited his government positions between 1993 and 2023 to help individuals and companies obtain engineering contracts, land transfers and financing in exchange for money and valuables.
The court described Yang’s crimes as “extremely serious”, saying they caused “exceptionally heavy losses” to state and public interests.
Long career in government before corruption case
Yang held several senior positions in Nanjing, a major economic and technology hub in China’s Jiangsu province. Much of his career was linked to economic development and investment-related projects.
Investigators found that he used his official influence to assist businesses and individuals in securing commercial advantages, while illegally receiving huge sums of money and assets in return.
Chinese authorities launched an investigation into Yang as part of President Xi Jinping’s nationwide anti-corruption campaign, which has targeted officials across government departments, state-owned enterprises, finance and the military.
Death penalties in major corruption cases remain rare
Although China frequently prosecutes officials for corruption, death sentences in white-collar crime cases are uncommon and generally reserved for cases involving extremely large amounts of money or serious damage to public interests.
In recent years, several high-profile officials have received capital punishment for corruption-related offences.
Former Chinese financial executive Lai Xiaomin was executed in 2021 after being convicted of accepting around 1.8 billion yuan in bribes.
Former Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping was executed in 2024 after being convicted of corruption involving more than 3 billion yuan.
China’s anti-corruption drive
Since taking power, Xi Jinping has made corruption a major focus of his administration, launching repeated campaigns against officials accused of abusing public office.
Supporters say the crackdown has improved discipline among government officials, while critics argue that anti-corruption investigations can also be used to remove political opponents.
Chinese courts often issue suspended death sentences in corruption cases, which can later be reduced to life imprisonment if certain conditions are met.
The Changzhou court said Yang cooperated with investigators, admitted his crimes and expressed remorse, but ruled that the seriousness of his offences prevented a reduced punishment.
