What’s new: A former deputy governor of China’s northern Hebei province was accused of taking more than 50 million yuan ($7.6 million) in bribes between 2006 and 2013 in exchange for business favors to others.
Li Qian, 60, stood trial Tuesday in a Beijing court, facing corruption charges. Li became a vice governor of Hebei in 2017 after spending years in top positions in Baoding and Hengshui in Hebei.
Prosecutors accused Li of offering favors to people in real estate and construction projects, mainly during his tenure as city head of Baoding and Hengshui.
Li pleaded guilty before the court. A sentence will be announced at later date, the court said.
What’s the context: Li was placed under investigation by the Communist Party in 2019. He was expelled from the party and removed from all public posts in January.
Li is the 12th high-ranking government official facing criminal conviction this year amid China’s long-running anti-graft crackdown. He is also the third top Hebei official brought down since 2017.
Li ranked fifth among Hebei’s eight vice governors, overseeing industrial development, natural resources, environment and state asset management.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com).
