Special to WorldTribune.com
China on June 11 sentenced former head of domestic security Zhou Yongkang to life in prison after he was found guilty of bribery, leaking state secrets and abuse of power.
The secret trial in the northern cit of Tianjin concluded one of the nation’s most visible scandals of the past 70 years. According to state media, Zhou, 72, admitted his guilt and said he would not appeal the verdict.
“I submit myself to the verdict of the court, and I do not appeal,” Zhou told the court. “I recognize the facts of my breaking the law, which has caused great losses to the party. I again admit my guilt and am penitent.”
The trial of Zhou followed President Xi Jinping’s vow to clean up corruption at the highest levels of leadership.
Zhou stands as the most senior Chinese official to be caught up in a graft scandal since the Communist Party took power in 1949.
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Xi went against an unwritten understanding that Politburo Standing Committee members would not be scrutinized after retirement.
Zhou, who had not been seen in public since October 2013, allegedly committed his crimes over decades, including when he was deputy general manager of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Communist Party chief in southwestern Sichuan province, minister of public security and a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.
Court proceedings revealed that Zhou’s wife and son, who testified via video at the trial, took 129 million yuan ($20.78 million) in money and property, and then told Zhou after they had taken the bribes.
Jiang Jiemin, the former CNPC chief and close associate of Zhou, also testified. Jiang also was tried for corruption, but has yet to be sentenced. Jiang and Sichuan’s former deputy party boss Li Chuncheng, were said to have helped Zhou illegally obtain about 2.14 billion yuan, the court found.
In his battle against corruption, Xi vowed to go after powerful “tigers” as well as lowly “flies,” but a staggering economy and upcoming reforms may slow his fight against graft, experts say.
“I think we still cannot talk about him having achieved an overwhelming victory,” said Zhang Lifan, a Beijing-based political commentator.
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