The trial of Liu Zhijun, China’s former railways minister, on bribery charges in a local court in Beijing was short, but it drew national attention and has fueled public debate about relations between government officials and private-sector executives, according to published reports there.
Liu, who was a key player in China’s huge high-speed rail expansion over the last decade, admitted on June 9 to accepting cash and assets worth more than $100 million for himself and others over a span of 25 years. The bribes were from former ministry employees and construction firm executives seeking promotions and contract awards, says Zhongcai, a Chinese financial news portal.