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| China’s former security chief given life sentence for corruption | China’s former security chief given life sentence for corruption |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| China’s former security chief and the arch-rival of the president, Xi Jinping, has been sentenced to life in prison for corruption following a secret trial. | |
| Zhou Yongkang – one of the Communist party’s most powerful and feared figures until his retirement in 2012 – was a key adversary of the Chinese leader and some experts had predicted he would be executed for his alleged crimes. | Zhou Yongkang – one of the Communist party’s most powerful and feared figures until his retirement in 2012 – was a key adversary of the Chinese leader and some experts had predicted he would be executed for his alleged crimes. |
| Following the closed-door trial, the 72-year-old was convicted of bribery, abuse of power and leaking state secrets, Xinhua, China’s official news agency, announced. | Following the closed-door trial, the 72-year-old was convicted of bribery, abuse of power and leaking state secrets, Xinhua, China’s official news agency, announced. |
| He is the most senior Communist party figure ever to have been convicted of such charges. “I realise the harm I have caused to the party and to the people,” a silver-haired Zhou told the court, according to CCTV, the state broadcaster. | He is the most senior Communist party figure ever to have been convicted of such charges. “I realise the harm I have caused to the party and to the people,” a silver-haired Zhou told the court, according to CCTV, the state broadcaster. |
| Related: Zhou Yongkang: oil boss who became China's third most powerful man | Related: Zhou Yongkang: oil boss who became China's third most powerful man |
| “I broke the law and party rules incessantly and the objective facts of my crimes have resulted in grave losses to the party and the nation,” he added, according to Xinhua. | “I broke the law and party rules incessantly and the objective facts of my crimes have resulted in grave losses to the party and the nation,” he added, according to Xinhua. |
| Zhou’s trial, which was held about 80 miles from Beijing in the north-eastern city of Tianjin, began on 22 May but was only revealed on Thursday evening. | Zhou’s trial, which was held about 80 miles from Beijing in the north-eastern city of Tianjin, began on 22 May but was only revealed on Thursday evening. |
| The fallen Communist party titan was convicted of taking 129m yuan (£13.4m) worth of bribes as well as leaking “top secret files”, Xinhua reported. | The fallen Communist party titan was convicted of taking 129m yuan (£13.4m) worth of bribes as well as leaking “top secret files”, Xinhua reported. |
| While Zhou had taken “particularly huge bribes”, he had also “truthfully confessed, pleaded guilty and repented his wrongdoing when brought to justice”, the court said. | While Zhou had taken “particularly huge bribes”, he had also “truthfully confessed, pleaded guilty and repented his wrongdoing when brought to justice”, the court said. |
| The son of an eel farmer, Zhou was born in Jiangsu province in 1942, seven years before Mao Zedong’s Communist troops swept to power. | The son of an eel farmer, Zhou was born in Jiangsu province in 1942, seven years before Mao Zedong’s Communist troops swept to power. |
| He joined the party in 1964 and forged a successful career in the oil industry, eventually becoming the general manager of CNPC, the state-run energy giant. Some knew him as China’s Dick Cheney. | He joined the party in 1964 and forged a successful career in the oil industry, eventually becoming the general manager of CNPC, the state-run energy giant. Some knew him as China’s Dick Cheney. |
| Zhou went on to reach the highest echelons of the Communist party. He was named minister for public security in 2002 and then head of the party’s political and legislative affairs committee, giving him control over China’s courts, police and secret police. | |
| His position at the helm of the country’s feared security apparatus meant he was widely loathed by human rights activists but also immensely powerful. In 2007, he became one of nine members of the politburo standing committee, the body that rules China, a position he held until his retirement in 2012. | |
| By then, Zhou’s future appeared to be in jeopardy. He was last seen in public in October 2013, amid frantic speculation that his purge was imminent. Zhou was eventually indicted on corruption charges in April this year, after months under house arrest. | By then, Zhou’s future appeared to be in jeopardy. He was last seen in public in October 2013, amid frantic speculation that his purge was imminent. Zhou was eventually indicted on corruption charges in April this year, after months under house arrest. |
| We don’t know what Xi Jinping wants to do in China yet but we do know that he is ambitious | |
| Xi, who became Communist party chief in late 2012 just as Zhou stepped down, has been portrayed as China’s most powerful and authoritarian leader since Mao. | Xi, who became Communist party chief in late 2012 just as Zhou stepped down, has been portrayed as China’s most powerful and authoritarian leader since Mao. |
| Some experts described the verdict as a victory for a president Chinese spin doctors call “Xi Dada”, which translates as Uncle or Big Daddy Xi. | Some experts described the verdict as a victory for a president Chinese spin doctors call “Xi Dada”, which translates as Uncle or Big Daddy Xi. |
| However, Steve Tsang, an expert on Chinese politics from the University of Nottingham, said Beijing’s decision to try Zhou in secret suggested Xi was not as dominant as some observers suggest. | However, Steve Tsang, an expert on Chinese politics from the University of Nottingham, said Beijing’s decision to try Zhou in secret suggested Xi was not as dominant as some observers suggest. |
| “He is still powerful, he is still confident – but not as much as we were all giving him credit for,” Tsang said. | “He is still powerful, he is still confident – but not as much as we were all giving him credit for,” Tsang said. |
| Communist party leaders appeared to have struck a “political deal” with Zhou, said Wu Qiang, a politics professor from Beijing’s Tsinghua University. | Communist party leaders appeared to have struck a “political deal” with Zhou, said Wu Qiang, a politics professor from Beijing’s Tsinghua University. |
| “Judging from the fact that Zhou has decided not to appeal and from his final statements, the trial could be understood as a pre-arranged political deal.” | “Judging from the fact that Zhou has decided not to appeal and from his final statements, the trial could be understood as a pre-arranged political deal.” |
| Striking such an agreement was probably intended to spare the Communist party’s blushes, said Zhang Lifan, a prominent and outspoken Beijing-based historian. | |
| As the former head of China’s domestic spy network, “Zhou might hold the secrets of many VIPs which he could use as his bargain chips,” said Zhang. | As the former head of China’s domestic spy network, “Zhou might hold the secrets of many VIPs which he could use as his bargain chips,” said Zhang. |
| Xi has made the fight against corruption a key theme of his presidency, vowing to drive thieving “tigers” such as Zhou from the party. | Xi has made the fight against corruption a key theme of his presidency, vowing to drive thieving “tigers” such as Zhou from the party. |
| In his first public address after taking power, Xi warned that rampant corruption could ultimately bring his government down. “The whole party must stay on full alert,” he warned. | In his first public address after taking power, Xi warned that rampant corruption could ultimately bring his government down. “The whole party must stay on full alert,” he warned. |
| Related: Chinese former security tsar Zhou Yongkang charged in corruption case | Related: Chinese former security tsar Zhou Yongkang charged in corruption case |
| Since then dozens of high-ranking party officials have been toppled, including top members of the People’s Liberation Army, powerful energy executives, the mayors of major cities and even a former spy chief. | Since then dozens of high-ranking party officials have been toppled, including top members of the People’s Liberation Army, powerful energy executives, the mayors of major cities and even a former spy chief. |
| Liu Han, a Ferrari-loving mining tycoon once worth more than £4bn, was executed in February after he was convicted of leading a double life as an “evil gangster” responsible for gangland shootings and turf wars. | Liu Han, a Ferrari-loving mining tycoon once worth more than £4bn, was executed in February after he was convicted of leading a double life as an “evil gangster” responsible for gangland shootings and turf wars. |
| The ferocity of Xi’s offensive has been such that there has been speculation over whether even bigger Communist party figures such as Jiang Zemin, the former president, or Wen Jiabao, the former prime minister, might be in the crosshairs of the anti-corruption campaign. | The ferocity of Xi’s offensive has been such that there has been speculation over whether even bigger Communist party figures such as Jiang Zemin, the former president, or Wen Jiabao, the former prime minister, might be in the crosshairs of the anti-corruption campaign. |
| But the decision to topple Zhou was largely a political one, said Tsang, who claimed that Xi saw the former security tsar as an obstacle preventing him from asserting “his supremacy within the party”. | |
| “We don’t know what Xi Jinping wants to do in China yet but we do know that he is ambitious. We do know that he wants to leave a mark,” said Tsang. | “We don’t know what Xi Jinping wants to do in China yet but we do know that he is ambitious. We do know that he wants to leave a mark,” said Tsang. |
| The anti-corruption campaign has gone down well with the masses who are weary of widespread official corruption. | The anti-corruption campaign has gone down well with the masses who are weary of widespread official corruption. |
| But it has also taken its toll. Now into its third year, the campaign has been blamed for an apparent spike in the number of officials committing suicide. Upscale restaurants and luxury goods retailers complain business is down as suddenly frugal Communist cadres retreat into the shadows. | But it has also taken its toll. Now into its third year, the campaign has been blamed for an apparent spike in the number of officials committing suicide. Upscale restaurants and luxury goods retailers complain business is down as suddenly frugal Communist cadres retreat into the shadows. |
| There are also signs of growing pushback among sectors of China’s Communist elite. Earlier this week the daughter of Chen Yun, a revered revolutionary hero, gave an indication of the divisions opening up at the top of China’s Red aristocracy when she publicly threw her support behind the president. | There are also signs of growing pushback among sectors of China’s Communist elite. Earlier this week the daughter of Chen Yun, a revered revolutionary hero, gave an indication of the divisions opening up at the top of China’s Red aristocracy when she publicly threw her support behind the president. |
| Xi is implementing the anti-corruption drive “to secure the party rule”, Chen Weili said, according to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post. “The party rule will end otherwise.” | |
| Additional reporting by Luna Lin | Additional reporting by Luna Lin |