Former senior political advisor of China's Guizhou tried for bribery

CHONGQING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Jiankun, a former vice chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stood trial for taking bribes in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Thursday.

During the trial in the First Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing, Zhou was accused of taking advantage of his various positions in Guizhou to benefit others on matters such as enterprise operation, project contracting, and project approval between 1999 and 2022, and taking money and valuables worth over 108 million yuan (about 15.19 million U.S. dollars) in return.

The prosecutors, the defendant and his lawyers cross-examined the evidence and gave their respective accounts, according to a court statement.

In his final statement, Zhou pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

The verdict will be announced in due course.