Former senior official sentenced to 11 years for taking bribes

Wang Shanping, a former senior official in Ziyang, Sichuan province, was sentenced to 11 years and fined 4 million yuan ($592,700) for taking bribes by a court in Chengdu, Sichuan, on Thursday.

Wang previously served as deputy secretary of Ziyang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and mayor of Ziyang.

The Chengdu Intermediate People's Court found that Wang illegally accepted money and gifts worth 41.32 million yuan between 2003 and 2024. In return, he used his position to help certain parties secure projects, obtain funding, operate businesses and get job promotions, according to a statement released by the court on its official WeChat account.

The court said Wang received a lighter sentence because he reported others' criminal activities — a verified act that counted as major meritorious performance. He also confessed, expressed remorse, and returned most of the bribes, it added.