A court has dismissed ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai's appeal against his conviction and life sentence for corruption and abuse of power in one of the country's most politically charged trials in decades.

The ruling, by the Shandong Provincial Higher People's Court, came as no surprise, with many political analysts saying such an outcome was pre-determined by Communist Party leaders keen to put Bo away long enough to prevent him from making a comeback.

Bo was found guilty of embezzlement, bribery and abuse of power by a lower court in the same province late last month and sentenced to life in prison.

He put up a robust defence during his five-day trial, denying the charges and recanting earlier confessions.

Authorities in the city of Jinan imposed a heavy security presence around the court before the ruling, closing buildings and streets in the area.

The conclusion of Bo's case bolts the door closed on a vexing scandal for the Communist Party leadership that included embarrassing revelations that Bo's wife murdered British businessman Neil Heywood and that his former aide made a failed attempt to defect to the United States.

The ruling enables Chinese president Xi Jinping to further unify party leaders who may have been divided over how Bo's fate should be handled and to steer public focus towards the initiatives of the team he leads.