A former senior official, Huang Shaoxiong, had his sentence reduced to 20 years and 9 months' imprisonment because of good behavior, said a statement released by Guangdong Provincial High People's Court on Tuesday.

Huang Shaoxiong, former deputy director general of Guangdong Provincial Department of United Front Work, was given the commuted sentence by Guangdong Provincial High People's Court in the prison where Huang is serving his jail term in Meizhou in eastern part of Guangdong province. The court had opened a hearing on Huang's commuted sentence in March after Huang had been in prison for more than 3 years.

According to relevant regulations and rules on prison management, all the inmates who are sentenced to life in jail will not have their sentences commuted until they have been in jail for more than 3 years.

Huang was also deprived his political rights for 10 years.

Huang said he accepted his commuted sentence.

This means that Huang, 62, might be released in 2036 when he is 83 years old, the statement said.

Huang, who was also former Party chief of the Guangdong Chamber of Industry and Commerce was sentenced to life in jail and was deprived of his political rights for life in a court in Chaozhou on July 4, 2011. Huang served his jail term in a prison in Jieyang from 2011 to 2013 and was transferred to a prison in Meizhou in 2014.

All of Huang's properties, which he gained illegally, were confiscated.

Huang was pronounced guilty of accepting bribes valued at 10.36 million yuan ($1.67 million), plus HK$1.1 million and $50,000 in Australian dollars, when he was in office between 2001 and 2009.

"Huang met the conditions for a commuted sentence after his good performance in prison," the statement said.

According to the statement, Huang strictly abided by all the prison regulations and rules and was repentant for his crimes after he began to serve his jail term.

Huang received 35 citations, was given 6 commendations and was selected as an activist for reform through labor three times.

Meanwhile Huang published 11 articles in local prison restricted publications.

Fan Zhen contributed to this story