Beijing (Reuters) - A former police chief at the centre of China's biggest political scandal in decades admitted in court that his crimes had had a serious effect both internationally and domestically, Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday in an account of the trial.

"My behaviour was criminal, and I hope to redeem and dispel the serious effect it had internationally and domestically via this trial," Wang Lijun, ex-police chief of south-western Chongqing municipality, told the court, Xinhua reported.

At his trial in the south-western city of Chengdu on Tuesday he admitted attempting to defect to the United States, and did not contest charges of bribery and illegal surveillance, according to a court spokesman.