China has handed a death sentence with a two-year reprieve to Gou Zhongwenyi, the former sports minister, after finding him guilty of accepting huge bribes and abusing his official powers.
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A court in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, ruled on 8 December 2025 that Gou took advantage of his positions over more than a decade to solicit and accept bribes worth over RMB 236 million (about US $33.4 million).
Prosecutors said he used his roles — including as vice-mayor of Beijing and later as director of the State General Administration of Sport — to help individuals and departments gain business advantages, project approvals and other benefits in exchange for illicit payments.
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In addition to the bribery charges, Gou was convicted of abusing his official powers. Part of that ruling stems from his time as a Beijing vice-mayor in 2012–2013, when he mishandled a public project acquisition that caused significant losses to state assets, the court said.
Under Chinese law, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve is typically commuted to life imprisonment if the convict commits no further crimes during that period.
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The court cited factors such as Gou’s confession, cooperation with investigators and return of illicit gains in deciding to defer execution.
The court also stripped Gou of political rights for life, ordered the confiscation of all personal assets, and directed that all illicit funds be turned over to the state treasury.
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Gou’s downfall marks one of the highest-profile corruption cases in China’s ongoing anti-graft campaign, which has targeted senior officials across government, business and state sectors in recent years.
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