A Chinese court has sentenced former political high-flyer Sun Zhengcai to life in prison for taking more than $26 million in bribes.

Sun's sentence handed down Tuesday by the intermediate court in the northern port city of Tianjin appears to mark the end of a career that had once been seen as propelling him to the apex of power in the ruling Communist Party.

He was also deprived of political rights for life and had all his personal property confiscated. Sun had been a member of the party's powerful Politburo.