Pi Qiansheng, a former member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Tianjin Municipal Committee, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes and power abuses, a local court said Friday.

According to a statement from Shenyang Intermediate People's Court, Pi was found to have taken advantage of his position as head of Tianjin Economic and Technology Development Zone and Tianjin Binhai New Area to enable profits for others, extorted money and accepted bribes totaling 7.55 million yuan (1.11 million U.S. dollars) from 1995 to 2005.

He also abused his power when heading Tianjin Economic and Technology Development Zone administrative committee from 1996 to February 1998, the court ruled, adding that his illegal actions resulted in 220 million yuan worth of losses in state assets.

The court deprived Pi of his political rights for life, and confiscated all his properties.