Updated

Chinese authorities have charged former rising political star Sun Zhengcai with bribery.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate announced the indictment of Sun, the former Communist Party leader of the western megacity of Chongqing, on its website Tuesday.

Sun is the highest-ranking serving official to be ensnared by President Xi Jinping's sweeping anti-corruption campaign, now in its sixth year.

The announcement said Sun "illegally accepted huge amounts of money and goods" from others in return for providing them with benefits.

The indictment focused on bribery but leaders have made it clear Sun's alleged offenses were largely political in nature.

The chairman of China's securities regulator said at a major party meeting last year that Sun and other senior figures prosecuted in the crackdown were "conspiring openly to usurp party leadership."