by Mahmut Atanar

BEIJING 

A former standing committee member of China's Politburo has been sentenced to life in prison.

Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Thursday that a people's court had passed the sentence on ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang for revealing state secrets, graft and abuse of power.

He was convicted of accepting bribes of about 130 million Yuan ($21.3 million), according to the judgement.

The court ruled that Zhou had used his position to seek profits for five people, from whom he received bribes. He also instructed two men to assist in the business activities of others, which helped them illegally obtain about 2.14 billion Yuan and cause 1.49 billion Yuan losses to the state.

Outside of the life term, Xinhua reported that Zhou has also been deprived of his political rights for life, while his personal assets had been confiscated.

The 73-year-old said he had pleaded guilty and will not appeal.

"The basic facts are clear. I plead guilty and repent my wrongdoing," he said.

In April, Zhou ally and former vice Communist Party chief of southwestern Sichuan Li Chuncheng was charged with accepting bribes and abuse of power.

Li, 58, was the first provincial official to fall under President Xi Jinping’s anti-graft drive – under which Zhou was the highest-ranking official to be investigated.