Death sentence for Chinese official who stole $325M in bribes

In a shocking court ruling in eastern China, Yang Youlin, a former city official from 1993 to 2023, was sentenced to death for taking more than 2.2 billion yuan (about $325 million) in bribes over three decades.

Yang exploited his positions to steer engineering contracts, land deals and financing to private firms in exchange for money and luxury gifts. Investigations, part of President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti‑corruption campaign, uncovered the most serious cases in recent years.

Death penalties for white‑collar crimes are rare but have been used for cases involving sums above 1 billion yuan. Earlier examples include former finance chief Lai Xiaomin (1.8 billion yuan) and Inner Mongolia official Li Jianping (3 billion yuan).

Compared to other convicted officials, Yang offered information to authorities, but a court deemed it insufficient to reduce the punishment. He pleaded guilty and showed remorse in his final statement.

This case highlights the intense crackdown on corruption that critics say can also target political rivals.