China’s embattled former foreign minister steps down as a lawmaker
NBCFeb 19
PRC: Former Soccer Chief Sentenced for Bribery
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The Facts
Following one of the sport's most extensive anticorruption investigations in years, Chen Xuyuan, the former president of China's National Football Association (CFA), was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, according to Xinhua news agency.
Chen pleaded guilty to corruption in January and admitted to taking bribes totaling 81M yuan ($11.2M). Numerous coaches and players have been the subject of investigations as part of Pres. Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption campaign.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
As part of the Communist Party's plan to clean up sports by fighting corruption, a court has delivered a just sentence. Chen Xuyuan was given a life sentence for match-fixing, taking bribes, and financial crimes. As part of Xi Jinping's goal to make China a football superpower by 2050, he plans to build thousands of new football fields and enroll kids in new football academies — as well as root out corruption.
Anti-China narrative
Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign is taking things too far. Life in prison and the death penalty for corruption are unusual punishments for white-collar crimes in the Western world, but not uncommon in China. Human rights organizations have long accused the Chinese government of using torture to extract alleged corruption confessions. For an issue like corruption in sports, this verdict was too strong.