Zhou Yongkang, China's former security chief, was sentenced on Thursday to life imprisonment for accepting bribes, abusing power and deliberately disclosing State secrets, making him the highest-level official convicted in the republic's history.

 

Zhou pled guilty and said he would not appeal, the Xinhua News Agency reported. He was deprived of his political rights for life and his personal assets were confiscated. 

 

Zhou had a closed-door trial at Tianjin Municipal No.1 Intermediate People's Court on May 22 due to the involvement of State secrets, the report said. The trial was not publicized until Thursday.

 

Zhou, 72, was convicted of taking bribes of about 130 million CNY (21.3 million USD). 

 

A commentary from the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said Zhou's trial reflects the principle of equality before the law and the necessity to advance the rule of law. 

 

Zhou was formerly a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee.

 

Before that, he had served as general manager of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee.

 

Despite the closed-door trial, China Central Television on Thursday aired footage showing Zhou flanked by police officers, with a grim look on his face, appearing in court dressed in a white shirt and a dark jacket, his hair now completely gray instead of jet-black. 

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