China to execute police chief

A former police chief in southern China has been sentenced to death in a bribery scandal.

Yu Ding was accused of crimes including taking an estimated 2.3m yuan ($277,000) from a local businessman in return for ignoring his gambling operations.

Yu, 47, who was head of police in Liuzhou, one of the largest cities in the Guangxi Zhuang region, had also illegally concealed guns and opened several illicit gambling houses, reports said.

His wife Chen Hong, also 47, who had collaborated with her husband, was jailed for 15 years by the Liuzhou court.

The sentences came as China announced the arrest of the deputy mayor of Hangzhou city - a major tourist centre - in the latest high-level corruption scandal.

Ye Defan was detained on 15 December for taking "large amounts of money and gifts" and formally removed from office on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency said.

Twenty other government officials were arrested with him in a case linked to a private real estate company developing a holiday park, public gardens and other projects.

Struggle

President Jiang Zemin has repeatedly said that corruption threatens the Communist Party's grip on power.

China has executed numerous officials in its crackdown on graft

The China Daily quoted him on Wednesday warning the nation to prepare for a "long-term and arduous" struggle for clean government.

Last Friday, it was revealed that the mayor of the northern city of Shenyang, Mu Suixin, had resigned amid reports he was under investigation for links to triad gangs and gambling.

Mr Mu's deputy was arrested last year after he was allegedly caught on video gambling away 40m yuan ($4.8 million) in public money in a casino in Macau, a former Portuguese enclave in southern China.

Meanwhile, China's biggest corruption trial is continuing in south-east Fujian province, where courts have so far passed down more than a dozen death sentences.