HONG KONG — A court in Beijing on Monday gave a former Chinese minister of railways, Liu Zhijun, a suspended death sentence after finding him guilty of taking bribes and abusing his powers, state-run media reported. It was the final act in Mr. Liu’s downfall, which exposed graft and cronyism at the heart of China’s rail expansion.

The sentence, reported by Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, means Mr. Liu is likely to face life in prison if, as is usually the case, the death sentence is commuted after two years of good behavior. In handing down the sentence, the court presented Mr. Liu as a case study in the corrupt self-enrichment among officials that China’s Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping, has said he will stamp out.

Mr. Liu diverted railway construction and freight projects to a businesswoman, Ding Yuxin, also known as Ding Shumiao, and other associates, in return taking bribes worth a total of 64.6 million renminbi, or about $10.5 million, the court found, according to Xinhua. The verdict followed a trial in June.

“He brought massive economic gains for Ding Yuxin and her relatives, sustaining major losses to public finances,” the court said. “He tarnished the reputation of public servants.”