Yang Fasen, a senior official in Northwest China's Qinghai province, was sentenced to life in prison for taking bribes of more than 147 million yuan ($20.7 million), a court in Shaanxi province announced on Wednesday.

Yang was also deprived of political rights for life, and all his personal assets were confiscated, according to a ruling by the Hanzhong Intermediate People's Court. His illicit gains and related interests have been ordered turned over to the state treasury, the court said.

The court found that between March 2005 and July 2024, Yang used his positions in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Qinghai to seek benefits for individuals and enterprises in business operations and project contracting. In return, he accepted bribes totaling more than 147 million yuan.

Yang's actions constituted the crime of bribery and warranted severe punishment, as the amount involved was "extremely large," the court said.

"Considering he surrendered himself to the anti-corruption authorities, voluntarily reported bribes previously unknown to investigators, and returned all illicit gains, we showed leniency in sentencing," it added.

Yang, 54, a native of Gansu province, began his career in 1990. After years of work in Xinjiang, he became a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Qinghai Provincial Committee in 2023.

An investigation into Yang began in October 2024. In March, he was expelled from the Party and removed from public office. He was indicted on bribery charges in June, and the court publicly heard his case in September.