Former head of Bank of China, Wang Xuebing, has been sentenced by a Beijing court to 12 years in prison for taking bribes.

The terse one-line announcement gave no further details of the trial or the charges against the former head of one of the country's big four state-owned banks.

When he was expelled from the Communist party in November last year, the Xinhua news agency said he had received bribes worth 340 thousand US dollars and numerous improper gifts, including 17 "luxury watches."

(CRI December 11, 2003)