China’s Former Top Security Chief Is Sentenced To Life For Corruption

The Guardian: China’s former security chief given life sentence for corruption

Zhou Yongkang – a key adversary of Chinese president Xi Jinping – is most senior Communist party official ever to have faced corruption charges

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.

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.

WNU Editor: This is causing shock-waves throughout China's political establishment. I personally thought that he was one of the untouchables .... but his greed and falling out of favor with Chinese President Xi is what probably sealed his fate. My guess is that they made a deal with him .... he pleads guilty, implicates others, and his family and their wealth will be left untouched.

More News On The Sentencing of China's Former Top Security Chief Zhou Yongkang

Zhou Yongkang sentenced to life in prison -- Xinhuanet

China corruption: Life term for ex-security chief Zhou -- BBC

Zhou Yongkang, Ex-Security Chief in China, Gets Life Sentence for Graft -- New York Times
China’s disgraced security chief jailed for life after secret corruption trial -- Washington Post
China's fallen strongman and the mysterious 'Xinjiang sage' -- Reuters
Zhou Yongkang trial exposes Chinese officials' links with mystic -- The Guardian
Power politics exposed by fall of China's security boss -- Carrie Gracie, BBC
Zhou Yongkang: The downfall of the Chinese oil boss who became a security tsar -- ABC News (Australia)
China Security Chief’s Secret Trial Exposes Limits of Xi’s Power -- Ting Shi and Brendan Scott, Bloomberg
The Fall of Zhou Yongkang: Who’s Who? -- WSJ
Zhou Yongkang life sentence: How China reacted -- BBC