Former planning official admits graft

Liu Tienan stands trial at at the Langfang Intermediate People's Court in northern Hebei Province. Liu was former vice minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission and former head of the National Energy Administration. The court posted the photo with its official account on Sina Weibo, a microblogging service in China.

One of the highest-profile officials to be prosecuted for corruption since President Xi Jinping launched his anti-graft campaign pleaded guilty to bribery on Wednesday.

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Liu Tienan, 59, was a vice minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and also headed the National Energy Administration.

Prosecutors charged Liu and his son, Liu Decheng, with taking 35.6 million yuan ($5.8 million) in bribes from various businesses, including a Toyota Motor Corp joint venture, the court said.

Liu senior was sacked in May last year.

Luo Changping, deputy editor-in-chief of Caijing magazine, posted allegations on his microblog in late 2012 that Liu was involved in a number of illegal activities.

Details emerged as the trial began at the Langfang Intermediate People's Court in northern Hebei province accusing Liu and his family of taking advantage of his position for financial benefit.

"The oral representation made by the defendant Liu Tienan on the allegations is: I have taken the initiative to confess to the facts of the allegations," the court said on its microblog as it laid out the charges against the elder Liu.

Prosecutors said Liu, together with his son Liu Decheng, eased deals on projects that included the sale of 30,000 tonnes of aluminum oxide to the Nanshan Group, parent of Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co. Ltd.

In return, the father and son received bribes of 7.5 million yuan ($1.22 million) from Song Zuowen, chairman of Nanshan Group, the court heard.

Liu Decheng received a Porsche and an upmarket villa in northern Beijing from Qiu Jianlin, president of Zhejiang Hengyi Group, in exchange for his help in sealing an approval from NDRC in 2006, said prosecutors.

Prosecutors also said the senior Liu was aware of the generosity from Qiu, who spent more than 15.49 million yuan ($2.52 million) in total on the luxury car and the villa.