Briefly

Former senior Dalian adviser stands trial

Hao Hongjun, a former senior political adviser in Dalian, Liaoning province, stood trial at a court in Handan, Hebei province, on Thursday on a charge of accepting bribes. Hao, former chairman of the Dalian Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, pleaded guilty to leveraging his various positions in Liaoning as well as the privileges associated with his status, to seek benefits for others in the purchase of bank stocks, project contracting, job promotions and other areas, from 2006 to last year. In return, he accepted money and gifts worth more than 74.98 million yuan ($10.5 million). Hao's sentence will be announced at a later date.

Former vice-chairman of Xizang faces arrest

The Supreme People's Procuratorate has ordered the arrest of Wang Yong, a former vice-chairman of the government of Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, on suspicion of accepting bribes. Wang, also a former member of the leading Party members' group of the Xizang regional government, was investigated by the National Commission of Supervision before the case was handed over to prosecutors, the top procuratorate said on Thursday.

PLA monitors US ship in Taiwan Strait

The People's Liberation Army monitored and responded to a United States warship that transited the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, a spokesman said. PLA Eastern Theater Command spokesman Li Xi said in a news release that the USS Ralph Johnson transited the Taiwan Strait on Thursday and publicly hyped it up. The theater command organized naval and air forces to monitor and remain on alert throughout the US warship's transit, handling the situation in accordance with the law and regulations, he said. The command's troops remain on high alert at all times, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability, Li said.

Xinhua - China Daily