BEIJING—A purged Communist Party politician once regarded as a future Chinese leader stood trial on corruption charges in a case seen as part of an effort by President Xi Jinping to neutralize potential political rivals.
Sun Zhengcai, a member of the ruling Politburo until his abrupt removal last year, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for taking bribes worth millions of dollars and abusing his power during his half-day trial on Thursday, according to a statement on the trial court’s official microblog.