Former Qinghai official pleads guilty to taking bribes

Li Jiexiang, the former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Qinghai Provincial People's Congress, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes totaling 88.2 million yuan ($12.4 million) during a public trial on Thursday. The No 2 Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin will announce the verdict at a later date.

Prosecutors revealed that Li leveraged his various positions, including deputy mayor of cities in Inner Mongolia and mayor of Hohhot, the region's capital, to assist companies and individuals with project approvals, job promotions, and obtaining financial subsidies between 2004 and 2021. In return, he directly or indirectly received over 88.23 million yuan in bribes.

Prosecutors have recommended that Li be held criminally liable for taking bribes.

Li, 59, is a native of Inner Mongolia and a long-time resident and worker in the region. In 2019, at the age of 55, he became the vice-governor of Qinghai. Notably, in August 2020, he led the investigation team for the high-profile illegal mining issue in the Muli coalfield in Qinghai. He assumed the position of vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Qinghai Provincial People's Congress in January 2022 but was placed under investigation three months later.

In September 2022, Li was expelled from the Communist Party of China, dismissed from his public posts, and arrested. The Second Branch of Tianjin People's Procuratorate launched the prosecution against him in January 2023.