Tue Dec 17 06:50:23 UTC 2024: ## China Executes Official in Record-Breaking Corruption Case
**Beijing, December 17, 2024** – Li Jianping, a former high-ranking official in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has been executed for embezzling over $421 million, marking the largest corruption case in the country’s history. The death sentence, initially handed down in September 2022 and upheld on appeal in August 2024, was carried out Tuesday following approval from the Supreme People’s Court.
Li, 64, served as secretary of the Hohhot economic and technological development zone’s Communist Party working committee. State-run media reported that he was found guilty of embezzling three billion yuan (over $421 million) – a sum unprecedented in a single corruption case in China.
The execution underscores Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, a central pillar of his governance since 2012. This campaign, which has targeted over a million party officials, including high-ranking military personnel, shows no signs of slowing down. Reports indicate a surge in investigations into high-ranking officials (“tigers”), with 54 cases this year compared to 45 last year.
While Xi’s campaign has been lauded domestically, it has also drawn criticism internationally for its potential to consolidate his power. Xi’s recent call for party members to confront corruption head-on, as highlighted in a speech released this weekend, further emphasizes the continued intensity of this effort. The increasing number of high-profile officials facing punishment suggests that despite years of relentless anti-corruption measures, the problem persists at the highest levels of the Chinese government.
First Piper 