Convictions herald a prolonged fight

Eight provincial and ministerial officials were sentenced to terms of up to life in prison for graft on Wednesday, highlighting that China's sweeping fight against corruption is far from over. Among the convicted, four officials were found guilty of accepting bribes worth over 100 million yuan ($14.7 million), including Liu Zhigeng, former vice-governor of Guangdong province and Wang Baoan, former head of the National Bureau of Statistics.

The sentences came after last week's execution of Zhao Liping, a former senior political adviser in northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, for intentional homicide, taking bribes and possession of firearms.

Dai Yanjun, from the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said that the convictions of these eight "big tigers" are a sign of a prolonged anti-graft campaign.