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China jails former oil executive for 20 years for corruption

BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese court sentenced a former senior executive of a state oil company on Tuesday to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of corruption.

The sentencing of Wang Yongchun, former deputy general manager of China National Petroleum Corp., came a day after the company's former chairman, Jiang Jiemin, was given 16 years' imprisonment for corruption.

The Xiangyang Intermediate People's Court in central China said Wang received 49 million yuan ($7.9 million) in bribes between 2000 and 2013 and failed to explain the source of another 42 million yuan.

It said Wang - at Jiang's direction - provided assistance to others, causing huge losses to the state.

China's oil industry has been targeted in a sweeping anti-graft campaign that has toppled many high-ranking officials of state companies. The oil industry used to be a power base for Zhou Yongkang, a retired member of the all-powerful standing committee of the ruling Communist Party's Politburo.

Zhou is serving life in jail for corruption. Many of his associates - including Jiang and Wang - also have been convicted of corruption.

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