Zhou was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Hu seven

years and a half, by a court in Tianjin Municipality, official media reported.

About China's campaign on capturing fugitives abroad and recovering their ill-gotten assets, Cao said 164 suspects, including 27 listed in an Interpol red notice, have been repatriated or persuaded to return to China from 37 countries and regions since 2014.

Cao pledged to severely punish infiltrating, subversive and sabotage activities by hostile forces, violent and terrorist crimes, ethnic separatist activities and religious extremist activities, to "safeguard security, protect stability and promote harmony".

Mafia-like gangs, guns, explosives, drug making and trafficking, women and children trafficking, as well as crimes undermining national defence and military interests will also face harsh penalties, Cao said.

In his report, Zhou said the Supreme Court will help to maintain social stability and boost economic growth.

"(We will) resolutely protect the nation's political security, in particular the security of the state power and the political system," Zhou said.

Zhou promised to keep a firm hand on crimes undermining national security and on violent and terrorist crimes in accordance with the law.

Courts will strike hard on severe criminal offences such as murder and robbery, and hand out due sentences for those involved in telecom and Internet fraud, in order to maintain social stability, Zhou said.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)