Former Tianjin official gets 14 years for taking bribes

Zhou Derui, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Tianjin Municipal Committee, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Monday for accepting bribes.

The Datong Intermediate People's Court in Shanxi province also fined Zhou 4 million yuan ($590,000) and ordered the confiscation of his illegal gains and related proceeds, which will be turned over to the State treasury.

According to the court, between 2000 and 2025, Zhou took advantage of his positions, including as mayor of Changde in Hunan province and vice-mayor of Tianjin, to seek benefits for others in business operations, project contracting and personnel appointments. In return, he accepted more than 43.19 million yuan in bribes.

The court ruled that Zhou's conduct constituted the crime of accepting bribes and warranted severe punishment because the amount involved was "extremely large." However, it said he received a lighter sentence after voluntarily disclosing many bribery offenses previously unknown to investigators, pleading guilty, and actively returning his illegal gains.

Public records show that Zhou, 60, is a native of Hunan province. He began his career in December 1989 and joined the Communist Party of China in December 1991. He worked in Hunan for more than 30 years before being appointed vice-mayor of Tianjin in March 2021.

From March 2021 to early 2025, he also served as a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, head of its Publicity Department and head of its Organization Department.

Zhou was placed under investigation in March 2025 and was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office in September of the same year.

The case was publicly heard in April this year. During the trial, prosecutors, Zhou and his defense lawyer presented evidence and stated their arguments. More than 20 people, including national lawmakers and political advisers, attended the hearing.