Everything indicates that the biggest purge in the Chinese security apparatus in recent years is coming to an end. This Friday, the former Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security, Sun Lijun, who is accused of leading a "political clique" disloyal to President Xi Jinping, was sentenced to a two-year suspended death sentence for accepting bribes, among other crimes. His ruling closes a week in which several former police chiefs or the former Minister of Justice of the same group have also been sentenced for corruption.
Sun, 53, was convicted of accepting bribes worth about 92.5 million euros in exchange for business favors or job promotions, stock market manipulation or illegal possession of firearms, according to the state channel. CCTV. All of his personal property and illegal earnings have also been confiscated.
The suspended death penalty is a punishment that is applied relatively frequently in the Asian giant in cases of corruption. In practice, it means that if the prisoner does not commit new crimes and behaves appropriately during the period in which the suspension is in force - in this case two years - he can see his sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
The official had an outstanding career in the ranks of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and was one of the leaders of the first task forces sent by the Government to Wuhan to fight the covid-19 outbreak in February 2020.
But a year ago, he was expelled from the CCP after an investigation by the Central Disciplinary Commission, the body in charge of fighting corruption, concluded that he had "exaggerated political ambitions" and "lacked integrity." In January, Sun appeared on public television admitting to cultivating a "political cabal" with high-ranking police chiefs and taking bribes.
His sentence culminates a week in which the courts have beheaded the group led by Sun based on convictions. On Thursday, former Justice Minister Fu Zhenghua (67) and eastern Jiangsu Province legal and political affairs officer Wang Like (57) were sentenced to a two-year suspended death sentence for accepting bribery and abuse of power.
A day earlier, the former police chiefs of Shanghai (Gong Daoan, life sentence), Chongqing (15 years in prison) and Shanxi (14 years), all accused of receiving bribes.
When Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, he assured that corruption was so widespread that it endangered the very survival of the system, which is why he sponsored an anti-corruption campaign against "tigers and flies" that was very popular among the population.
Since then, the disciplinary bodies have punished more than four million party members and some 500 high-ranking officials in these ten years, including names such as the former head of the security services, Zhou Yongkang -once one of the nine most powerful men in the country and considered untouchable- or the former head of the energy sector, Liu Tienan. The campaign is also seen as a tool used by Xi to end the political careers of some of his rivals.
The trend appears to have accelerated in recent months ahead of the 20th CCP congress in Beijing next month. It is assumed that Xi will renew his position for a third term unprecedented in modern history and will fill the high command with like-minded people.
Sun's sentence sends "a clear political signal" to the Chinese security apparatus ahead of the congress, demanding loyalty to Xi amid a major review of the security system's command, a professor at the prestigious Renmin University explained to the South China newspaper. Morning Post. "Xi is telling the law enforcement team that he has zero tolerance for disloyalty and corruption, and that the consequences can be very serious," he added.
