Ling Chengxing, former director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration of China, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse on charges of bribery and abuse of power in a Changchun court today. He was charged with illegally accepting property worth over 43.1 million yuan ($5.9 million).
Previously, Ling also held several other high-level positions, including vice-governor of Jiangxi province, the Party committee member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and general manager of China National Tobacco Corporation.
According to accusations by the procuratorate in Changchun, between 2006 and 2023, Ling took advantage of his positions to seek benefits for certain units and individuals in project contracting, business operations, and job adjustments. He was also accused of malpractice and abuse of power during the facilitation, review of related investments, and acquisition of equity, causing significant losses to state-owned companies and resulting in particularly severe damage to national interests.
The court will conclude the trial at a later date.
