Zhang Xiulong, the former vice-chairman of the standing committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional People's Congress, has been accused of taking bribes of 41.19 million yuan ($5.75 million).

The case was heard for the first time by a court in Changde, Hunan province, on Friday.

Prosecutors accused Zhang of taking undue advantage of his various positions in Guangxi from 2001 to 2023 to seek profits for others and illegally accepting a particularly large sum of money and valuables in exchange.

Prosecutors have asked the court to hold Zhang accountable for committing the crime of bribery.

Lawyers representing him defended him on his behalf, and Zhang confessed to the crime.