China's provincial official sentenced to 15 years for graft

A former provincial Communist Party leader in China was today sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption, the latest senior official to be jailed under the anti-graft drive launched by President Xi Jinping.
Zhou Benshun, former Party chief of north China's Hebei Province, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for graft by a court in southeast China's Xiamen city, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Zhou, one of the influential provincial leaders of the ruling Communist Party of China, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption by court.
Last year, he was dismissedfrom public office for multiple offences including graft, speaking against the party line and hindering an official investigation.

"Zhou severely violated political discipline and rules," the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said last October when he was expelled from the party.
Zhou was also accused of working against central leadership's policies.

"Zhou, made remarks on major issues that went against the spirit of the central authority, and failed to earnestly implement the building of a clean government by interfering with and hindering investigations," the CCDI statement said.
It said he seriously violated the rules in promoting officials, and failed to report related personal matters.
Zhou is among thousands of party officials who have been sacked and prosecuted under the massive anti-corruption campaign carried by Xi since he took over power in late 2012.

Xi critics say that he also effectively used the anti- graft campaign, which boosted his standing among the public to consolidate his hold in the party.