Former China Eastern chief jailed for 14 years for bribery

Liu Shaoyong, former chairman and Party secretary of China Eastern Airlines Holding Co, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for bribery on Tuesday after being convicted of accepting more than 67.5 million yuan ($10.1 million) in bribes over two decades.

The Shenyang Intermediate People's Court in Liaoning province also fined Liu 4 million yuan and ordered the confiscation of his illicit gains and any proceeds derived from them, which will be turned over to the State treasury.

The court found that between 2002 and 2023, Liu had abused his positions at major Chinese airlines, including China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, to seek benefits for companies and individuals in business operations, project contracting and flight route management in exchange for bribes.

His actions constituted the crime of accepting bribes, involving an exceptionally large amount of money, the court said.

However, the court imposed a lighter sentence after taking into account several mitigating factors. These included the fact that some attempted bribes had not been successful, that Liu had confessed to his crimes and that he had voluntarily disclosed most of his bribery offenses that were previously unknown to investigators.

Liu also pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and actively returned his illicit gains. All assets involved in the case and their proceeds have been recovered, the court said.

The case was heard in public in July, during which prosecutors presented evidence, while Liu and his defense counsel challenged the evidence and presented their arguments. Liu pleaded guilty and expressed remorse in his final statement.

Liu, 68, a native of Henan province, spent much of his career in China's civil aviation industry, holding senior positions at the country's aviation regulator, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.

He became chairman and Party secretary of China Eastern Airlines Holding Co in late 2016 and stepped down in July 2022.

Liu was placed under investigation in 2025 for suspected serious violations of Party discipline and national laws. He was expelled from the Communist Party of China in January 2026.

Disciplinary authorities said at the time that Liu had abused his positions to help others secure project contracts, manage flight operations and arrange aircraft leasing in exchange for substantial payments. He was also found to have improperly accepted gifts and entertainment and used his influence to benefit his relatives' business activities.

Prosecutors indicted Liu on bribery charges in May.