Sun Zhengcai, former secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), stood trial for bribery Thursday at the First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin Municipality.

Sun is also a former member of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee.

Between 2002 and 2017, Sun took advantage of his posts to provide help for certain units and individuals in project procurement, enterprise operations and adjustment of official positions, and accepted money and property worth 170 million yuan ($27.1 million) either by himself or through "certain affiliated persons," according to an indictment by the first branch of the Tianjin People's Procuratorate.

During that period, Sun served as CPC chief of Shunyi district in Beijing, Standing Committee member and secretary general of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, agriculture minister, secretary of the CPC Jilin Provincial Committee, Political Bureau member of the CPC Central Committee and Party chief of Chongqing Municipality.

Prosecutors as well as Sun and his defense attorneys examined the evidence. Both sides questioned the two witnesses who testified in court, according to the court's statement.

Every process in Sun's case, including collecting evidence and the trial, was conducted in accordance with the law. It also sends a clear signal that there was no "special Party member" in front of national laws and Party disciplines, read a commentary from the People's Daily on Thursday.

On domestic and foreign factors, the Party's governance environment is still complicated, and the prominent problems of impure thinking and conduct in the Party have not been rooted out, the commentary said. Comprehensive and strict governance of the Party has to start from senior Party officials so that the anti-graft drive will not give up halfway, it added.

In his final statement, Sun said he deserved to be punished and had no objections to the charges.

He admitted his guilt, repented for his wrongdoing and said he would sincerely submit to the court's judgment, according to the court statement.

More than 130 people, including lawmakers, political advisers and journalists attended the trial.

The verdict will be announced at a later date.