Jiang Jiemin: China former energy chief on trial

A top official responsible for overseeing state-owned companies has gone on trial for corruption, Chinese media say.

Jiang Jiemin is charged with bribery and abuse of power, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mr Jiang was head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac).

Formerly, he headed the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). He was put under investigation in 2013.

It is not clear how long the trial, at a court in Hubei province, will last, but similar cases have taken only a few days.

The trial comes amid an ongoing campaign against official corruption led by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has warned it threatens the Communist Party's grip on power.

Several top figures are either being prosecuted or investigated.

The most senior of these is former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was once a member of China's highest decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee.

He has been charged with bribery, abuse of power and the intentional disclosure of state secrets, state media reported earlier this month.