Ling Jihua, the former deputy head of China's national political advisory body, has been sentenced to life imprisonment as part of the Chinese government's ongoing clampdown on corruption.
He was charged with taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power. According to the first-instance ruling of the First Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin, Ling pleaded guilty and chose not to appeal.
Ling was vice chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, before an announcement at the end of 2014 that he was under investigation.