Former deputy head of then State Administration of Grain stands trial

XIAMEN -- Xu Ming, former deputy head of the then State Administration of Grain, stood trial for bribery at the Intermediate People's Court of Xiamen in East China's Fujian province on Thursday.

Xu stood accused of taking advantage of his various positions between 1995 and 2021, including posts at the Ministry of Commerce, Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the then State Administration of Grain, to seek benefits for others in matters such as project contracting, business approval, legal case handling and job promotion. In return, he accepted money and valuables worth 51.2 million yuan (about $7.43 million), according to prosecutors.

Xu was also accused of using his influence after leaving his posts in Chongqing to seek benefits for others and illegally accepting 1.2 million yuan in exchange.

During the trial, prosecutors presented their evidence. The defendant and his defense counsel cross-examined the evidence.

In his final statement, Xu pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

Xu's sentence will be announced at a later date.