A former senior official in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region was sentenced to 13 years in prison for bribery on Wednesday, according to the Intermediate People's Court of Changde city in Hunan province.

Zhang Xiulong, former vice-chairman of the standing committee of the People's Congress of Guangxi, was convicted of accepting bribes totaling more than 41.19 million yuan ($5.61 million).

According to the court, Zhang took advantage of his various positions between 2001 and 2023, including mayors of Chongzuo and Guilin, both in Guangxi, to seek profits for others in areas such as project contracts, business operations, and job promotions.

The court found Zhang guilty of accepting bribes, acknowledging that the amount involved was extremely large. However, the court also noted mitigating factors, including Zhang's cooperation with the investigation, his guilty plea, and the full recovery of the illicit funds.

In addition to the prison sentence, he was also fined three million yuan.