Fang Fenghui, former chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), was sentenced to life in prison at a military court on February 20 for taking and offering bribes as well as possessing a huge amount of assets, whose origins he could not account for.

His political rights were revoked and all personal assets confiscated, according to the ruling.

Fang was placed under investigation on graft accusations in January 2018 by military prosecutors. He was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) later in the year.

Fang, 67, a native of Shaanxi Province, enlisted in the PLA. In 2007 he was appointed commander of the former Beijing Military Area Command.

In October 2012, he was named chief of the general staff of the PLA and in November 2012 he was elected member of the CMC of the CPC. In early 2016, he became chief of the commission's Joint Staff Department, which replaced the General Staff Headquarters of the PLA.