Former Xizang adviser pleads guilty to taking bribes

Jiang Jie, a former senior political adviser in the Xizang autonomous region, pleaded guilty to taking bribes at his trial at Tianjin No 1 Intermediate People's Court on Wednesday.

Prosecutors in Tianjin had accused Jiang, a former vice-chairman of the regional committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, of using his various positions in Shandong province and Xizang from 2000 to last year to seek profits for some individuals and departments in administrative approvals, project contracts, land transfers and work promotions, and accepting more than 225 million yuan ($31 million) of bribes in return.

They said Jiang should be held criminally liable for the graft.

The court said sentencing will be announced later.

More than 20 people, including national lawmakers, political advisers and journalists attended the hearing.

Jiang, 58, joined the Communist Party of China in 1985 and started his career in Shandong, his home province.

He went to Xizang in 2013 and became a vice-chairman of the regional committee of the CPPCC in 2022.

Jiang was placed under investigation in July last year for suspected severe violations of Party discipline and national laws.

At the beginning of this year, he was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office. He was indicted by Tianjin prosecutors in June.