Ji Shengde (; born 1948) is a former

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in charge of

military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...

in the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the China, People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five Military branch, service branches: the People's ...

of China. In June 1999 he was removed from his post after being implicated in the Lai Changxing smuggling scandal centered on the

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...

port of

Xiamen Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong' ...

. In 2000 Ji was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve (usually commuted to a life sentence after two years), but the sentence was later reduced to 20 years in jail. Wo-Lap Lam, Willy
"How China retreats to attack"
'' CNN'', May 15, 2001 U.S.

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well ...

fund-raiser

Johnny Chung Johnny Chien Chuen Chung (鍾育瀚; pinyin: Zhōng Yùhàn) (born 1955) was a major figure in the 1996 United States campaign finance controversy. Born in Taiwan, Chung was the owner of a " blastfaxing" business (an automated system that quickly ...

testified before the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

in May 1999 that Ji gave him 300,000 U.S. dollars to donate to the Democratic Party. Holman, Kwame
"The Price of Access"
''

NewsHour with Jim Lehrer ''PBS NewsHour'' is an American evening television news program broadcast on over 350 PBS member stations. It airs seven nights a week, and is known for its in-depth coverage of issues and current events. Anchored by Judy Woodruff, the pro ...

'', Transcript, '' PBS'', May 11, 1999 Ji is the son of

Ji Pengfei Ji Pengfei (simplified Chinese: 姬鹏飞; traditional Chinese: 姬鵬飛; pinyin: ''Jī Péngfēi''; February 2, 1910 – February 10, 2000) was a Chinese politician. Biography Ji Pengfei was born in Linyi County, Shanxi, Linyi, Yuncheng, Shanx ...

, who was China's

foreign minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...

when U.S. President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

visited China in 1972.Derbyshire, John
"Lips and Teeth"
''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

'', July 27, 2000

References

1948 births Living people People's Liberation Army generals from Shanxi {{China-mil-bio-stub