Senior Provincial Official Gets Suspended Death Sentence for Taking $26 Million in Bribes

Sun Yuanliang, a former high-ranking official in Liaoning province, China, has been sentenced to a suspended death penalty for accepting bribes amounting to over 187 million yuan ($25.8 million). The Chengde Intermediate People’s Court in Hebei province delivered the verdict, highlighting Sun's misuse of power across various roles from 1997 to 2022. During his tenure, he exploited his positions to assist others with land requisitions, bank loans, and career advancements in exchange for bribes [para. 1][para. 2].

The court also ruled that Sun will be stripped of his political rights for life and all his personal assets will be confiscated. This decision was made public through the court's official WeChat account [para. 3].

Sun had admitted to these charges during his trial in late November after being investigated for corruption starting April 2022. His investigation came four years following his retirement as vice chairman of the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) [para. 4].

Throughout his over thirty-year career in Liaoning, Sun held significant positions including the mayor of Liaoyang and various capacities within the provincial CPPCC. Additionally, he spent six years in Xizang autonomous region starting from 1976 after graduating from Liaoning University where he studied Russian [para. 5][para. 6].

This summary encapsulates key details about Sun Yuanliang's case as reported by Caixin media contacts Kelly Wang and Jonathan Breen [para. 7].