Across China: Beijing

Tonghai won't appeal

Chen Tonghai, the former chairman of the oil giant Sinopec Corp who was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on July 15 in what is believed to be the country's biggest bribery case, had given up appealing the ruling, his lawyer said on Sunday.

Chen, 61, was convicted of illegally receiving 196 million yuan ($29 million) between 1999 and June 2007. In return for bribes, Chen helped others "seeking illegal interests" in company operations, land transfers and contracts, according to the court verdict.