The former billionaire chairman of Tsinghua Unigroup, Zhao Weiguo, has been handed a suspended death sentence after being found guilty of corruption and embezzlement. Tsinghua Unigroup, founded in 1988, was once the darling of Chinese chip manufacturing and the owner of numerous Chinese semiconductor outfits, notably YMTC and Unisoc, but was plagued by corruption allegations and investigations.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported the sentence passed down by the Intermediate People’s Court in the northeastern city of Jilin. According to the report, Zhao was sentenced to death, suspended for two years. The punishment in such cases is normally commuted to life imprisonment if he doesn't commit any further crimes during the suspension period.
