Ex-city Official in China Receives Death Penalty for $325M Bribery
WHO:
ABC News - Yang Youlin, a former economic development official in Nanjing, China.
WHAT:
ABC News - Yang's personal property will be seized, and authorities will attempt to recover the full amount he received in bribes.
ABC News - Yang is the latest official sentenced to death for corruption in China, following Lai Xiaomin in 2021 and Li Jianping in 2024, both of whom were also executed for similar crimes.
ABC News - Yang Youlin was sentenced to death for taking bribes worth $325 million over three decades.
ABC News - Yang was convicted of embezzlement, offering bribes, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power, and money laundering.
ABC News - The Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court stated that Yang “illegally accepted property and assets” worth more than 2.21 billion yuan ($325 million) from 1993 to 2023.
ABC News - Yang expressed guilt and remorse in his final statement in court.
WHERE:
ABC News - The sentencing took place in Jiangsu province, China.
WHEN:
ABC News - Public hearings for the case were held on two days in March and April.
WHY:
ABC News - Yang was investigated as part of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign, which critics claim is used to remove political rivals.
HOW:
ABC News - Bribes were paid to Yang in exchange for assistance with “undertaking projects, business operations, land grants and working capital.”
(UPDATED July 7, 2026 19:38 UTC)
Yang has been sentenced to death for corruption in China, making him the latest official to face this severe penalty, following Lai Xiaomin in 2021 and Li Jianping in 2024, both of whom were executed for similar offenses. Authorities will also seize Yang's personal property as they work to recover the full amount he received in bribes. This crackdown on corruption continues to highlight the government's strict stance on financial misconduct among officials.
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(UPDATED July 7, 2026 08:08 UTC)
Yang Youlin, a former economic development official in Nanjing, China, has been sentenced to death for taking bribes totaling $325 million over a span of three decades. The Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court found him guilty of multiple charges, including embezzlement and money laundering, and noted that he illegally accepted property and assets worth more than 2.21 billion yuan from 1993 to 2023. In his final statement, Yang expressed guilt and remorse, as his case was part of President Xi Jinping’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign.