China's former leader Hu Jintao was for the first time seen in public on Monday, days after he was escorted dramatically out of the Communist Party's Congress when he visited the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing to pay respect to his late predecessor Jiang Zemin.

In a very unusual and shocking incident at the ruling Communist Party Congress' concluding session, Hu was lifted from his chair by two men and escorted out under the complete glare of the media, disrupting and attracting a lot of media attention at the event in which Chinese President Xi Jinping secured the historic third term as the Communist Party's leader.

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-may-announce-10-new-covid-19-measures-on-wednesday-report-540225">China may announce new COVID-19 easing measures on Wednesday: Report</a>

Later it was reported by the Chinese state media that Hu was not feeling well and hence was escorted, however, his clearly visible reluctance to exit the meeting fired speculations over whether it was a play of political factors.

On the morning of Monday, Hu was seen along with the Chinese People's Liberation Army's other top leaders in the hospital, where he paid his final respects to Jiang before the latter was cremated, as seen in the footage by the state broadcaster CCTV.

Jintao appeared frail as he stood next to Xi as the officials thrice bowed before the body of Jiang. Later, Hu was unsteadily walking with an attendant's help as the cadres were seen walking around the funeral display and expressing their grief to Jiang's widow.

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-operating-over-100-police-stations-in-foreign-countries-report-says-540130">China operating over 100 police stations in foreign countries, report says</a>

At the high-attention-grabbing Congress, the premier was anointed as the party's general secretary for a period of another five years, breaking the norm of the president stepping down after completing two terms.

It was highly speculated that Hu's dramatic exit was aimed at sending a strong political signal to the leaders who might be opposing the coronation of Xi.

(With inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

China's former leader Hu Jintao was for the first time seen in public on Monday, days after he was escorted dramatically out of the Communist Party's Congress when he visited the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing to pay respect to his late predecessor Jiang Zemin.

China's former leader Hu Jintao was for the first time seen in public on Monday, days after he was escorted dramatically out of the Communist Party's Congress when he visited the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing to pay respect to his late predecessor Jiang Zemin. In a very unusual and shocking incident at the ruling Communist Party Congress' concluding session, Hu was lifted from his chair by two men and escorted out under the complete glare of the media, disrupting and attracting a lot of media attention at the event in which Chinese President Xi Jinping secured the historic third term as the Communist Party's leader. ALSO READ| China may announce new COVID-19 easing measures on Wednesday: Report Later it was reported by the Chinese state media that Hu was not feeling well and hence was escorted, however, his clearly visible reluctance to exit the meeting fired speculations over whether it was a play of political factors. On the morning of Monday, Hu was seen along with the Chinese People's Liberation Army's other top leaders in the hospital, where he paid his final respects to Jiang before the latter was cremated, as seen in the footage by the state broadcaster CCTV. Jintao appeared frail as he stood next to Xi as the officials thrice bowed before the body of Jiang. Later, Hu was unsteadily walking with an attendant's help as the cadres were seen walking around the funeral display and expressing their grief to Jiang's widow. ALSO READ| China operating over 100 police stations in foreign countries, report says At the high-attention-grabbing Congress, the premier was anointed as the party's general secretary for a period of another five years, breaking the norm of the president stepping down after completing two terms. It was highly speculated that Hu's dramatic exit was aimed at sending a strong political signal to the leaders who might be opposing the coronation of Xi. (With inputs from agencies)

China's former leader Hu Jintao makes first public appearance after dramatic Congress exit

Xi Jinping surrounded himself with loyalists for his third term, while former President Hu Jintao was removed from China's 20th Communist Party Congress. What exactly happened? Watch Xi Jinping: Decoding one-man rule on WION Wideangle.

WION Wideangle | Xi Jinping: Decoding one-man rule

Former Chinese President Hu Jintao was dramatically led out of the closing ceremony of the Communist Party Congress. Fresh footage of the incident has now emerged. Molly Gambhir tells you what happened on that day.

Gravitas: Did Xi Jinping remove Hu Jintao from the stage?

It looks like China’s former president Hu Jintao was whisked away from the stage at a key Communist party meeting in Beijing because he was arguing about some official papers, new footage released by Singapore-based Channel News Asia showed.

The incident that took place on Saturday shocked the world about the manner in which the former state leader was abruptly escorted off the main event presided over by China’s current President Xi Jinping.

It led many to speculate that it was deliberately done at the behest of Xi to show that the more consensus-driven Hu era was over, whereas others believed that it could have happened because of Hu's poor health.

Xinhua news agency later tweeted that Hu was escorted as he was feeling unwell, but it did not report that domestically.

The new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBG2bD-TE9g">video</a> released by the CNA starts moments before the 79-year-old leader is escorted out of the event.

It shows Hu trying repeatedly to read a set of documents that are covered by a red sheet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-former-chinese-president-hu-jintao-abruptly-escorted-out-of-communist-party-congress-527596">Watch: Former Chinese president Hu Jintao abruptly escorted out of Communist Party Congress</a>

Politburo Standing Committee member Li Zhanshu, who was sitting beside the former president, then intervenes and seems to suggest to Hu that the documents need to be covered as the proceeding is being recorded with TV cameras and photographers.

At this moment, Xi, who was monitoring the whole situation, gestured to another man standing there, who then tried to persuade Hu to leave and at one point attempts to physically lift him up from his chair.

The former president then leaves his chair with some help from the party aide, and while on his way out, he is seen trying to speak with the Chinese president.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: 

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

It looks like China’s former president Hu Jintao was whisked away from the stage at a key Communist party meeting in Beijing because he was arguing about some official papers, new footage released by Singapore-based Channel News Asia showed.

It looks like China’s former president Hu Jintao was whisked away from the stage at a key Communist party meeting in Beijing because he was arguing about some official papers, new footage released by Singapore-based Channel News Asia showed. The incident that took place on Saturday shocked the world about the manner in which the former state leader was abruptly escorted off the main event presided over by China’s current President Xi Jinping. It led many to speculate that it was deliberately done at the behest of Xi to show that the more consensus-driven Hu era was over, whereas others believed that it could have happened because of Hu's poor health. Xinhua news agency later tweeted that Hu was escorted as he was feeling unwell, but it did not report that domestically. The new video released by the CNA starts moments before the 79-year-old leader is escorted out of the event. It shows Hu trying repeatedly to read a set of documents that are covered by a red sheet. Also read | Watch: Former Chinese president Hu Jintao abruptly escorted out of Communist Party Congress Politburo Standing Committee member Li Zhanshu, who was sitting beside the former president, then intervenes and seems to suggest to Hu that the documents need to be covered as the proceeding is being recorded with TV cameras and photographers. At this moment, Xi, who was monitoring the whole situation, gestured to another man standing there, who then tried to persuade Hu to leave and at one point attempts to physically lift him up from his chair. The former president then leaves his chair with some help from the party aide, and while on his way out, he is seen trying to speak with the Chinese president. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

New video reveals why China’s ex-prez Hu Jintao was escorted out of CPC Congress

Four days after former Chinese President Hu Jintao was unexpectedly led out of the CPC meeting, there is a new footage that has surfaced. The video from the Chinese Communist Party Congress has raised more questions about why Hu Jintao might have been escorted out of the Congress hall.

Video: Why was former Chinese President Hu Jintao led out of CPC?

The former Chinese President Hu Jintao was unexpectedly asked to get up and then was escorted out of the ceremony of the Communist Party's Congress.

China: Former Chinese President Hu Jintao led out of CPC, was 'not feeling well'

On Saturday amid the closing ceremony of&nbsp;the 20th Communist Party Congress in China, former president Hu Jintao, who was reportedly sitting next to incumbent president Xi Jinping, was unexpectedly escorted out of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, said reports.&nbsp;

The 79-year-old and Xi’s immediate predecessor was reportedly seated on the current president’s left and was abruptly escorted out by two stewards. Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, who was reportedly sitting on the right of the former president, was seen giving Hu’s folder to one of the stewards escorting him out.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Drama in China as former president Hu Jintao is escorted out of the closing ceremony <a href="https://t.co/AzsqUJWuFx">pic.twitter.com/AzsqUJWuFx</a>
— Dan Banik (@danbanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbanik/status/1583699299254562816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

 
According to a report by Reuters, Hu looked distressed and appeared to resist leaving and even turned back to his seat at one point. While being escorted out of the hall, he was also seen having a brief exchange with Xi and patted Premier Li Keqiang (seated on the current president’s right) on the shoulder.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-20th-communist-party-congress-closes-xi-jinping-further-cements-power-527591">China's 20th Communist Party Congress closes: Xi Jinping further cements power</a>

The incident took place at the closing ceremony of the Chinese communist party's once-in-five-years congress, which is a week-long session that opened last Sunday where the party’s constitution is amended.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

On Saturday amid the closing ceremony of the 20th Communist Party Congress in China, former president Hu Jintao, who was reportedly sitting next to incumbent president Xi Jinping, was unexpectedly escorted out of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, said reports.

On Saturday amid the closing ceremony of the 20th Communist Party Congress in China, former president Hu Jintao, who was reportedly sitting next to incumbent president Xi Jinping, was unexpectedly escorted out of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, said reports. The 79-year-old and Xi’s immediate predecessor was reportedly seated on the current president’s left and was abruptly escorted out by two stewards. Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, who was reportedly sitting on the right of the former president, was seen giving Hu’s folder to one of the stewards escorting him out. Drama in China as former president Hu Jintao is escorted out of the closing ceremony pic.twitter.com/AzsqUJWuFx — Dan Banik (@danbanik) October 22, 2022 × According to a report by Reuters, Hu looked distressed and appeared to resist leaving and even turned back to his seat at one point. While being escorted out of the hall, he was also seen having a brief exchange with Xi and patted Premier Li Keqiang (seated on the current president’s right) on the shoulder. ALSO READ: China's 20th Communist Party Congress closes: Xi Jinping further cements power The incident took place at the closing ceremony of the Chinese communist party's once-in-five-years congress, which is a week-long session that opened last Sunday where the party’s constitution is amended. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Watch: Former Chinese president Hu Jintao abruptly escorted out of Communist Party Congress

The 20th Communist Party Congress has started its closing ceremony with Xi Jinping likely to seal his unprecedented third time in power. The ceremony is currently taking place behind closed doors and in no time from now, China will find out as to who will be running the country alongside the president and the party General Secretary Xi Jinping.

China: Former President Hu Jintao escorted out of party congress

Party members, especially those in leadership roles, need to ensure they keep their family members on tight leash to prevent corruption, the official newspaper of China&#39;s ruling Communist Party said today after a high-profile jailing. 
 
A Chinese court on Monday jailed a former top aide to retired president Hu Jintao for life after finding him guilty of taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power during a secret trial. 
 
The party announced its investigation into the one-time aide to Hu, Ling Jihua, in December 2014. Ling had been demoted in September 2012 from a ministerial-level job, months after his son was killed in a crash involving a luxury sports car. 
 
His deceased son was implicated in bribery allegations mentioned during the trial, while Ling&#39;s wife testified against him. 
 
In a front page editorial, the People&#39;s Daily said Ling&#39;s jailing showed once again that all are equal in front of the law and that no matter who you are if you break the law you will be punished. 
 
&quot;All party comrades, especially cadres who are leaders, must deeply learn the lessons of Ling Jihua&#39;s criminal case,&quot; it said. 
 
&quot;Strictly abide by party discipline and rules, strictly keep under control family members and those who work by your side,&quot; the paper added. 
 
The fight against corruption has been a key policy plank of President Xi Jinping&#39;s first term in office, with dozens of senior officials jailed in his purge. 
 
Xi warned last week though that graft remained the biggest threat to the party. 
 
The People&#39;s Daily said that a party which is clear about clean governance and following the rules will always keep its winning position. 
 
&quot;Those who have power will be supervised, to ensure that the power given to them by the party and the people is used to benefit the people,&quot; it added. 
 
Ling&#39;s case had presented a dilemma for the government, because of his close connection with former president Hu, Xi&#39;s predecessor. 
 
A government spokesman denied last year that Hu was being implicated in the investigation and sources said that Hu approved of the case against Ling. 
 
(Reuters)

Former top aide of Hu Jintao was held guilty of taking bribe, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power. He was sentenced to jail

Party members, especially those in leadership roles, need to ensure they keep their family members on tight leash to prevent corruption, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party said today after a high-profile jailing. A Chinese court on Monday jailed a former top aide to retired president Hu Jintao for life after finding him guilty of taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power during a secret trial. The party announced its investigation into the one-time aide to Hu, Ling Jihua, in December 2014. Ling had been demoted in September 2012 from a ministerial-level job, months after his son was killed in a crash involving a luxury sports car. His deceased son was implicated in bribery allegations mentioned during the trial, while Ling's wife testified against him. In a front page editorial, the People's Daily said Ling's jailing showed once again that all are equal in front of the law and that no matter who you are if you break the law you will be punished. "All party comrades, especially cadres who are leaders, must deeply learn the lessons of Ling Jihua's criminal case," it said. "Strictly abide by party discipline and rules, strictly keep under control family members and those who work by your side," the paper added. The fight against corruption has been a key policy plank of President Xi Jinping's first term in office, with dozens of senior officials jailed in his purge. Xi warned last week though that graft remained the biggest threat to the party. The People's Daily said that a party which is clear about clean governance and following the rules will always keep its winning position. "Those who have power will be supervised, to ensure that the power given to them by the party and the people is used to benefit the people," it added. Ling's case had presented a dilemma for the government, because of his close connection with former president Hu, Xi's predecessor. A government spokesman denied last year that Hu was being implicated in the investigation and sources said that Hu approved of the case against Ling. (Reuters)

Corruption will not be tolerated, China warns its leaders

An ex-aide of former Chinese President Hu Jintao has been jailed for life for corruption, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power, official media reported Monday. 
 
Ling Jihua pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal, Xinhua news agency said, citing the verdict of the First Intermediate People&#39;s Court in Tianjin, which held his trial in secret last month. 
 
Verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown&nbsp; 
 
The verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown on graft by current President Xi Jinping that has deposed several senior officials, notably former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was himself jailed for life last year. 
 
Critics, however, say that a lack of transparency around the crackdown means it has been an opportunity for Xi to eliminate political enemies. 
 
&quot;The trial today is engraved on my bones and in my heart,&quot; it quoted Ling as saying in his final statement to the court. 
 
The chief judge carried out his duties &quot;fairly and lawfully&quot;, he added, and the proceedings were &quot;solemn, meticulous, rational and civilised&quot;. 
 
It may be noted Chinese courts are controlled by the ruling Communist party, which expelled Ling -- once Hu&#39;s chief of staff -- from its ranks last year. 
 
Further, it may also be pertinent to mention Ling&#39;s son died in a notorious Ferrari crash in Beijing which disrupted the once-in-a-decade party leadership change when Xi took over from Hu in 2012. 
 
Ling had powerbases in the northern province of Shanxi and the Communist Youth League -- seen as a proving ground for politicians who, unlike Xi, do not benefit from family links to high-ranking revolutionaries. 
 
One of his brothers, Ling Zhengce, a senior official in Shanxi, was put under investigation in 2014 for serious violations of &quot;discipline and the law&quot; -- a euphemism for corruption -- and expelled from the party last year. 
 
Another brother, Ling Wancheng, has fled to the United States, a Chinese anti-graft official confirmed in January, adding Beijing was &quot;in touch&quot; with Washington about his case. 
 
His exile has led to speculation in overseas Chinese media that Ling Jihua had given him top state secrets, including the launch codes for China&#39;s nuclear weapons, to secure some leverage in negotiations with Beijing over his case. 
 
&#39;It was a relatively lenient sentence&#39; 
 
Under Chinese law, the death penalty is available for corruption cases, but Xinhua said Ling was given a reduced sentence for having &quot;faithfully&quot; confessed to his crimes and being penitent for his actions. 
 
It was &quot;a relatively lenient sentence&quot;, Willy Lam of the Chinese University of Hong Kong told AFP. &quot;It&#39;s possible Ling drove a bargain with authorities.&quot; 
 
His former boss Hu was probably safe, Lam added, saying that the former president &quot;made a wise decision by refusing to support Ling&quot;. 
 
But other Hu proteges &quot;may now be blocked from promotion&quot;, he said, as Xi consolidates his power over the government. 
 
Graft is endemic in China&#39;s authoritarian system 
 
The Ferrari crash scandalised China despite a mainland media blackout -- partly because two young women, one nude and one partially clothed, were also injured in the crash, with one reportedly dying months later. 
 
Internet users questioned how the son of a party official could afford a car worth a reported five million yuan. 
 
The politician, his wife and son received bribes worth a total of 77.1 million yuan ($11.6 million), Xinhua said. 
 
The court found that the bribes Ling took were &quot;exceptionally enormous&quot; and &quot;the criminal circumstances&quot; under which he obtained state secrets were severe, said the report. 
 
His abuse of power caused &quot;huge losses to public property and the interests of the state and the people&quot; and had &quot;especially vile social impact&quot;, it said. 
 
When Ling was charged the country&#39;s national prosecuting authority said he &quot;abused his power&quot; as director of the General Office of the Communist Party&#39;s Central Committee, where he worked under Hu. 
 
In several party leadership posts, he &quot;illegally received large amounts of property and obtained state secrets&quot;, it added. 
 
Graft is endemic in China&#39;s authoritarian system, and Xi has acknowledged it as a threat to the ruling party&#39;s survival. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Lack of transparency around the crackdown could mean an opportunity for President Xi Jinping to eliminate political enemies, say critics

An ex-aide of former Chinese President Hu Jintao has been jailed for life for corruption, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power, official media reported Monday. Ling Jihua pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal, Xinhua news agency said, citing the verdict of the First Intermediate People's Court in Tianjin, which held his trial in secret last month. Verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown The verdict and sentence come as part of a high-profile crackdown on graft by current President Xi Jinping that has deposed several senior officials, notably former security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was himself jailed for life last year. Critics, however, say that a lack of transparency around the crackdown means it has been an opportunity for Xi to eliminate political enemies. "The trial today is engraved on my bones and in my heart," it quoted Ling as saying in his final statement to the court. The chief judge carried out his duties "fairly and lawfully", he added, and the proceedings were "solemn, meticulous, rational and civilised". It may be noted Chinese courts are controlled by the ruling Communist party, which expelled Ling -- once Hu's chief of staff -- from its ranks last year. Further, it may also be pertinent to mention Ling's son died in a notorious Ferrari crash in Beijing which disrupted the once-in-a-decade party leadership change when Xi took over from Hu in 2012. Ling had powerbases in the northern province of Shanxi and the Communist Youth League -- seen as a proving ground for politicians who, unlike Xi, do not benefit from family links to high-ranking revolutionaries. One of his brothers, Ling Zhengce, a senior official in Shanxi, was put under investigation in 2014 for serious violations of "discipline and the law" -- a euphemism for corruption -- and expelled from the party last year. Another brother, Ling Wancheng, has fled to the United States, a Chinese anti-graft official confirmed in January, adding Beijing was "in touch" with Washington about his case. His exile has led to speculation in overseas Chinese media that Ling Jihua had given him top state secrets, including the launch codes for China's nuclear weapons, to secure some leverage in negotiations with Beijing over his case. 'It was a relatively lenient sentence' Under Chinese law, the death penalty is available for corruption cases, but Xinhua said Ling was given a reduced sentence for having "faithfully" confessed to his crimes and being penitent for his actions. It was "a relatively lenient sentence", Willy Lam of the Chinese University of Hong Kong told AFP. "It's possible Ling drove a bargain with authorities." His former boss Hu was probably safe, Lam added, saying that the former president "made a wise decision by refusing to support Ling". But other Hu proteges "may now be blocked from promotion", he said, as Xi consolidates his power over the government. Graft is endemic in China's authoritarian system The Ferrari crash scandalised China despite a mainland media blackout -- partly because two young women, one nude and one partially clothed, were also injured in the crash, with one reportedly dying months later. Internet users questioned how the son of a party official could afford a car worth a reported five million yuan. The politician, his wife and son received bribes worth a total of 77.1 million yuan ($11.6 million), Xinhua said. The court found that the bribes Ling took were "exceptionally enormous" and "the criminal circumstances" under which he obtained state secrets were severe, said the report. His abuse of power caused "huge losses to public property and the interests of the state and the people" and had "especially vile social impact", it said. When Ling was charged the country's national prosecuting authority said he "abused his power" as director of the General Office of the Communist Party's Central Committee, where he worked under Hu. In several party leadership posts, he "illegally received large amounts of property and obtained state secrets", it added. Graft is endemic in China's authoritarian system, and Xi has acknowledged it as a threat to the ruling party's survival. (AFP)

Ex-Chinese President's close aide gets lifer over graft charges

A Chinese court on Monday jailed for life a former top aide to retired president Hu Jintao after finding him guilty of taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power during a secret trial in which his wife testified against him. 
 
The verdict in the case, which the ruling Communist Party has said caused major damage to its image, brings to a close another chapter in President Xi Jinping&#39;s sweeping campaign against corruption which he began more than three years ago. 
 
The party announced its investigation into the one-time aide to Hu, Ling Jihua, in December 2014. Ling had been demoted in September 2012 from a ministerial-level job, months after his son was killed in a crash involving a luxury sports car. 
 
The court in the northern city of Tianjin, close to Beijing, held the case behind closed doors on June 7, according to a statement reported by the official Xinhua news agency. 
 
&quot;Ling Jihua took an extremely large amount of bribes. He obtained a large number of state secrets, and the crimes were very serious. He abused his power, and caused a terrible impact upon society,&quot; Xinhua said. 
 
Ling took more than 77.08 million yuan ($11.6 million) in bribes personally and through his family, the court said, which listed several other high-profile former politicians also implicated in graft cases, including Bai Enpei, once the Communist Party boss in Yunnan province. 
 
Bai went on trial last month but no verdict has been announced. 
 
Ling accepted the facts of the case and did not contest them, Xinhua added. 
 
&quot;I accept all the charges and submit to the judgment,&quot; Xinhua quoted Ling as saying in his final statement. &quot;Today&#39;s trial will be engraved in my memory.&quot; 
 
Ling added that the trial was &quot;solemn, meticulous, rational and civilised&quot;, embodying a combination of rule of law and humanitarian treatment, Xinhua added. 
 
Ling&#39;s wife Gu Liping testified by video against him, with the help of multimedia presentations of evidence, Xinhua said. Deceased son, Ling Gu, was briefly mentioned as also having taken bribes, crimes the court said his father was aware of but did nothing about. 
 
One source with ties to leadership told Reuters that investigators found a large amount of classified documents when they searched Ling&#39;s Beijing home. 
 
The crimes Xinhua mentioned all occurred in 2012 and before that, when Ling had already stepped down as an aide to Hu in the party&#39;s general office, which oversees the sensitive day-to-day operations of the elite governing Politburo. 
 
It was during this period that he got hold of state secrets from Huo Ke, who was still working in the general office, Xinhua said. 
 
The report gave no details on the state secrets that Ling had obtained. 
 
The trial was likely held in secret because of the state secret element, as happened with former state security chief Zhou Yongkang, jailed for life last year also for corruption. 
 
It has never been possible to reach Ling for comment, and unclear who his lawyer was or if they were appointed for Ling by the party. 
 
Ling&#39;s case had presented a dilemma for the government, because of his close connection with former president Hu, President Xi Jinping&#39;s predecessor. 
 
A government spokesman denied last year that Hu was being implicated in the investigation and sources have told Reuters Hu approved of the case against Ling. 
 
(Reuters)

Ling Jihua's case had presented a dilemma for the government, because of his close connection with former president Hu Jintao

A Chinese court on Monday jailed for life a former top aide to retired president Hu Jintao after finding him guilty of taking bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power during a secret trial in which his wife testified against him. The verdict in the case, which the ruling Communist Party has said caused major damage to its image, brings to a close another chapter in President Xi Jinping's sweeping campaign against corruption which he began more than three years ago. The party announced its investigation into the one-time aide to Hu, Ling Jihua, in December 2014. Ling had been demoted in September 2012 from a ministerial-level job, months after his son was killed in a crash involving a luxury sports car. The court in the northern city of Tianjin, close to Beijing, held the case behind closed doors on June 7, according to a statement reported by the official Xinhua news agency. "Ling Jihua took an extremely large amount of bribes. He obtained a large number of state secrets, and the crimes were very serious. He abused his power, and caused a terrible impact upon society," Xinhua said. Ling took more than 77.08 million yuan ($11.6 million) in bribes personally and through his family, the court said, which listed several other high-profile former politicians also implicated in graft cases, including Bai Enpei, once the Communist Party boss in Yunnan province. Bai went on trial last month but no verdict has been announced. Ling accepted the facts of the case and did not contest them, Xinhua added. "I accept all the charges and submit to the judgment," Xinhua quoted Ling as saying in his final statement. "Today's trial will be engraved in my memory." Ling added that the trial was "solemn, meticulous, rational and civilised", embodying a combination of rule of law and humanitarian treatment, Xinhua added. Ling's wife Gu Liping testified by video against him, with the help of multimedia presentations of evidence, Xinhua said. Deceased son, Ling Gu, was briefly mentioned as also having taken bribes, crimes the court said his father was aware of but did nothing about. One source with ties to leadership told Reuters that investigators found a large amount of classified documents when they searched Ling's Beijing home. The crimes Xinhua mentioned all occurred in 2012 and before that, when Ling had already stepped down as an aide to Hu in the party's general office, which oversees the sensitive day-to-day operations of the elite governing Politburo. It was during this period that he got hold of state secrets from Huo Ke, who was still working in the general office, Xinhua said. The report gave no details on the state secrets that Ling had obtained. The trial was likely held in secret because of the state secret element, as happened with former state security chief Zhou Yongkang, jailed for life last year also for corruption. It has never been possible to reach Ling for comment, and unclear who his lawyer was or if they were appointed for Ling by the party. Ling's case had presented a dilemma for the government, because of his close connection with former president Hu, President Xi Jinping's predecessor. A government spokesman denied last year that Hu was being implicated in the investigation and sources have told Reuters Hu approved of the case against Ling. (Reuters)

China jails former aide to retired Chinese president for life

hu-jintao

Hu Jintao, News on Hu Jintao, stories on Hu Jintao, articles on Hu Jintao, Hu Jintao stories at Wion, Hu Jintao news, Hu Jintao latest news

hu jintao