Why bo xilai matters

We're not done yet! Your opinion can help us make it better. We use cookies to improve our service for you. You can find more information in our data protection declaration. Now, more than a year after the allegations against him were exposed, the disgraced politician has been indicted.

Power and the abuse thereof; moral and the lack of it; murder and money - the story surrounding Bo Xilai is enough for a full length thriller - a thriller that has gripped the Chinese public since last year.

Bo Xilai created chaos in China's carefully planned change of leadership. At the same time, he also brought to light uncomfortable truths about the country's leaders. More than a year after the allegations against him were exposed, the former high-flying communist politician was indicted on Thursday, July 25th, according to China's Xinhua News Agency. He was charged with bribery, abuse of power and corruption. Bo "took advantage of his position to seek profits for others and accepted an 'extremely large amount' of money and properties," Xinhua added, quoting the indictment.

The move paves the way for a trial seen by many as a test for legal reform and President Xi Jinping's commitment to combat corruption. The report did not offer a date for the trial. Bo, the former party chief of the southwestern city of Chongqing, was expelled from the Communist Party over allegations leveled against him last September and has not been seen in public for over a year.

Through the scandal, a number of things became clear. For one, there is a deep-seated ideological divide among the members of the Communist Party, which to the public presents itself as a homogenous, unified entity. Another thing that became apparent is that the top tiers live in astonishing luxury. They are involved in offshore banking and money laundering and will literally go over dead bodies if they have to, as Bo Xilai's wife Gu Kailai has proven.

Bo Xilai, as the son of legendary party revolutionary Bo Yibo, was one of the so-called "princelings. As party head of China's largest city, Chongqing, with over 30 million residents, Bo had a good chance of being promoted into the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee - the party's inner circle of power. Normally Chinese politicians rise through the ranks quietly. Not Bo. The urbane and charismatic man started a populist campaign to make Chongqing his model city. He invested in low-income housing and attracted foreign investment.

But there are two campaigns for which he will be especially remembered: "sing red" and "strike black. Around 5, people were arrested in his ruthless campaign. A number of people were sentenced to death. Wang's attempted defection became an international story overnight, and the public fallout curtailed Bo's political ambitions immediately.

The next month, the Party stripped Bo of his post in Chongqing and expelled him altogether that November, and Bo remained out of sight until appearing before a judge this August. Ultimately, Bo was tried for three crimes: embezzlement, abuse of power, and bribery, mostly in connection to a wealthy patron named Xu Ming who allegedly lavished Bo and his family with money and gifts.

Though the verdict was wholly expected, Bo's trial was still something of a disappointment : the deliberations failed to adequately examine his anti-mafia campaign, a sweep that ensnared political rivals and meddlesome lawyers and, arguably, represented his true abuse of power. The crimes that ultimately brought Bo down are hardly unusual in the Communist Party, where corruption is endemic, and could have easily applied to other high-ranking officials. Two leaders of similar rank to Bo, former Beijing leader Chen Xitong and former Shanghai boss Chen Liangyu, were sentenced to 15 and 18 years, respectively, for similar crimes, and Wang Lijun himself got only Why was Bo's sentence so strict?

Bo's relatively harsh sentence is unsurprising for three reasons. Since assuming the presidency, Xi has cracked down on visible signs of corruption, compelling party officials to cut out ostentatious signs of wealth and privilege.

I've argued before that Xi's crackdown is mostly cosmetic , because corruption in China is systemic and embedded within the Party's institutions. However, the conviction and sentencing of Bo Xilai provided Xi with a public opportunity to demonstrate his resolve, regardless of whether corruption in China actually lessens. Third, Bo Xilai was no ordinary politician.

Handsome, articulate, and charismatic, Bo resembled a Western politician in his public style and departed sharply from the dour, inconspicuous manner of most Communist officials. Bo's high-profile behavior in Chongqing made it seem he was almost campaigning for higher office, using his personal popularity to advance his career, which flies against Communist Party convention. Even after his downfall, Bo remained a popular figure nationwide—all the more reason for Xi Jinping to smack him down harder.

What are the repercussions of Bo Xilai's case? In the short term, Bo Xilai's downfall is bad news for his patron, Zhou Yongkang, who during the Hu Jintao years served as China's powerful internal security czar.

Since assuming power, Xi Jinping has purged four leaders close to Zhou for corruption. JINAN, China Reuters - China charged disgraced senior politician Bo Xilai with bribery, abuse of power and corruption on Thursday, paving the way for a potentially divisive trial that President Xi Jinping will want smoothly handled as he pushes major economic reforms.

He has not been seen in public for 17 months. But the trial of Bo, a charismatic and well-loved leader to some and a power-hungry politician to others, could sharpen rifts. Bo committed serious crimes and will be indicted on the charges of bribery, embezzlement and power abuse, state news agency Xinhua quoted the indictment as saying. He had been informed of his legal rights and interviewed by prosecutors, it said. Related Coverage.

Bo is certain to be found guilty. His wife, Gu Kailai, and his former police chief, Wang Lijun, have both been convicted and jailed over the scandal, which stems from the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.

The government in September last year accused Bo of corruption and of bending the law to hush up the murder.