A former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official who was once tipped as a potential successor to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) was yesterday sentenced to life in prison for bribery, the latest senior cadre to fall in Xi’s sweeping anti-corruption crusade.
Sun Zhengcai (孫政才), a former politburo member and party chief of the southwestern megacity of Chongqing, was found guilty of taking more than 170 million yuan (US$26.7 million) in bribes, the First Intermediate People’s Court of Tianjin said in a statement on its Web site.
Sun, 54, had once been tipped for promotion to the Politburo’s elite seven-member standing committee, which rules the nation and is presided over by Xi.
Photo: EPA
As the youngest politburo member, Sun was even seen in some quarters as a potential successor to Xi.
The court said the defendant had been given a “lenient” sentence in light of his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
In addition to his prison term, Sun’s “stolen property has already all been confiscated,” the statement said.
A photograph posted on the court’s Web site showed the former leader in the dock, head deeply bowed as two police officers looked on.
Sun expressed “sincere repentance,” according to the court.
He said he accepted the sentence and would not appeal.
Sun had been accused of taking advantage of his position to seek profits for others and illegally accepting money, according to previous court statements.
He and his alleged associates were charged with accepting the bribes in return for providing help to unspecified organizations and individuals with engineering contracts, business operations and other matters.
His actions had “gravely damaged the normal work order of national organizations and harmed the integrity of conduct by national employees,” the statement said.
He pleaded guilty to the charges during a one-day trial last month.
Sun was the first serving member of the 25-member politburo to be placed under investigation since Bo Xilai (薄熙來), another former leader of Chongqing, who was jailed for life in 2013.
Xi has presided over a popular anti-graft drive since coming to power in 2012 that has punished more than 1 million officials.
Critics have compared it to a political purge.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS