The punishment given to Yang Youlin is one of the harshest handed down in a corruption case in China in recent years
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenXinlu Liangin BeijingPublished: 8:20pm, 6 Jul 2026Updated: 8:32pm, 6 Jul 2026A court in eastern China has handed down a rare death sentence to a former municipal official convicted of taking more than 2.2 billion yuan (US$323.8 million) in bribes, marking one of the harshest punishments for economic crimes in recent years.Yang Youlin, who once served as executive deputy director of the Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone management committee, was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement, misappropriating public funds, abuse of power and money laundering. The Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu province delivered the verdict on Monday.The court imposed a consolidated death sentence, stripping Yang of his political rights for life and ordering the confiscation of all personal assets. His ill-gotten gains and their yields have been seized and turned over to the state treasury, with authorities empowered to continue recovering any outstanding amounts.According to the court’s findings, Yang’s history of corruption spanned three decades, from 1993 to 2023.
Leveraging his powerful positions in a district in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, Yang provided illicit help to private companies and individuals. His titles included director of the Jiangning District Construction Bureau and general manager of the Jiangning Economic and Technological Development Group.
The court found that he manipulated engineering contracts, business operations, land transfers and financial turnovers in exchange for staggering kickbacks.
