[JURIST] A Chinese court Tuesday sentenced former minister of land and natural resources Tian Fengshan [profile] to life in prison after finding him guilty of accepting over $500,000 in bribes during his time in office. The Beijing Number Two Intermediate People's Court found that Fengshan, charged late last month [JURIST report], "took advantage of his position" for personal gain by accepting bribes from commercial and residential developers for favorable treatment. The court said his punishment was lenient; in July another government official, Ma De, former secretary of the municipal committee of the Communist Party of China in Suihua City, was sentenced to death for accepting bribes [China Daily report]. Fengshan's arrest and conviction is part of a campaign by the government of China [JURIST news archive] to curb corrupt behavior amid rapid economic growth. Xinhua has local coverage.