A Beijing appeal court on Friday upheld a suspended death sentence for former governor of southwest China's Yunnan province, Li Jiating, who was convicted of corruption.

In the verdict, the Beijing Municipal Higher People's Court upheld the first trial ruling by the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court that sentenced Li to death with a two-year reprieve.

Li was convicted of taking over 18.1 million yuan (US$2.2 million) in bribes from early 1994 and July of 2000 when he served as deputy Party secretary of Yunnan provincial committee, and vice-governor and governor of the province.

The intermediate court gave its verdict based on the fact that Li had worked in cooperation with the law enforcement departments after his arrest, and all of the bribes were retrieved.

The court also ruled that all Li's personal property be confiscated.

The Beijing higher court rejected Li's appeal, maintaining that the verdict by the city's intermediate court was justified.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2003)