Mao Xiaobing, former member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Qinghai Provincial Committee, was sentenced to life in prison for taking bribes on Thursday.

Mao sought and accepted bribes worth over 100 million yuan (around 14.4 million US dollars) from others, according to the Intermediate People's Court in Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu Province. 

Mao offered help to companies and individuals in obtaining project contracts and other advantages between 1995 and 2013 when he was in charge of China's Western Mining Group and its subsidiary company, and also while acting as mayor and Party chief of Xining, capital city of Qinghai, said the court.

He was also charged with embezzling around 400 million yuan (around 57.9 million US dollars) of public funds from Western Mining between March and June 2006, though he returned the money later on, the court added. 

Mao told the court he won't appeal the verdict. 

On the same day, Wang Baoan, former head of the National Bureau of Statistics, stood trial at a court in Zhangjiakou, north China’s Hebei Province, for accepting bribes worth 154 million yuan (around 22.3 million US dollars).

Wang has pleaded guilty and the court has adjourned to decide on sentencing.

The two were among at least ten former officials at provincial and ministerial level or above who were charged for accepting bribes worth over 100 million yuan since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012. ‍