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| Bo Xilai's officials bugged Chinese president's phone – report | Bo Xilai's officials bugged Chinese president's phone – report |
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| A wiretapping network run by Chongqing officials was detected on a phone call made to Chinese President Hu Jintao in August, a discovery that helped topple the city's ambitious party chief Bo Xilai, the New York Times has reported. | A wiretapping network run by Chongqing officials was detected on a phone call made to Chinese President Hu Jintao in August, a discovery that helped topple the city's ambitious party chief Bo Xilai, the New York Times has reported. |
| The report said nearly a dozen ources with Communist party ties had confirmed the case of wiretapping and the widespread bugging programme. | The report said nearly a dozen ources with Communist party ties had confirmed the case of wiretapping and the widespread bugging programme. |
| The party's official version of events omitted the tapped call by a visiting Chinese minister to Hu in August. If true the report confirms rumours of the incident that had spread since Bo's sacking in March. | The party's official version of events omitted the tapped call by a visiting Chinese minister to Hu in August. If true the report confirms rumours of the incident that had spread since Bo's sacking in March. |
| The public case has focused on the suspicious death of British businessman Neil Heywood in November and allegations that Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, was involved. The case has upset China's carefully managed leadership transition. | The public case has focused on the suspicious death of British businessman Neil Heywood in November and allegations that Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, was involved. The case has upset China's carefully managed leadership transition. |
| "The hidden wiretapping, previously alluded to only in internal Communist pParty accounts of the scandal, appears to have provided another compelling reason for party leaders to turn on Mr Bo," the New York Times said. | "The hidden wiretapping, previously alluded to only in internal Communist pParty accounts of the scandal, appears to have provided another compelling reason for party leaders to turn on Mr Bo," the New York Times said. |
| There are varied versions of the rumours about alleged bugging by Bo, some of which have been reported by Chinese-language media in Hong Kong and abroad. | There are varied versions of the rumours about alleged bugging by Bo, some of which have been reported by Chinese-language media in Hong Kong and abroad. |
| The New York Times story backs up earlier reporting by Reuters on the widespread, sophisticated bugging network in Chongqing set up by Bo and his former police chief Wang Lijun, as well as rumours about the tapped phone call made to Hu by a visiting anti-corruption official, minister of supervision Ma Wen. | The New York Times story backs up earlier reporting by Reuters on the widespread, sophisticated bugging network in Chongqing set up by Bo and his former police chief Wang Lijun, as well as rumours about the tapped phone call made to Hu by a visiting anti-corruption official, minister of supervision Ma Wen. |
| Sources told Reuters the monitoring apparently helped Bo and Wang frustrate secretive investigations by central authorities, including a later visit by discipline inspection officials in January. | Sources told Reuters the monitoring apparently helped Bo and Wang frustrate secretive investigations by central authorities, including a later visit by discipline inspection officials in January. |
| The New York Times quoted party insiders as saying the wiretapping was seen as a direct challenge to central authorities and just how far Bo, now sacked and under probe for disciplinary violations, was willing to go in his efforts to grasp power. | The New York Times quoted party insiders as saying the wiretapping was seen as a direct challenge to central authorities and just how far Bo, now sacked and under probe for disciplinary violations, was willing to go in his efforts to grasp power. |
| "Everyone across China is improving their systems for the purposes of maintaining stability," it quoted one official with a central government media outlet as saying in reference to surveillance tactics. "But not everyone dares to monitor party central leaders." | "Everyone across China is improving their systems for the purposes of maintaining stability," it quoted one official with a central government media outlet as saying in reference to surveillance tactics. "But not everyone dares to monitor party central leaders." |
| The Times said Ma's high-security phone line to Hu from the state guesthouse in Chongqing was monitored on Bo's orders and the topic of the call was unknown but probably not vital. | The Times said Ma's high-security phone line to Hu from the state guesthouse in Chongqing was monitored on Bo's orders and the topic of the call was unknown but probably not vital. |
| Bo had protected himself and Wang Lijun by explaining away the apparent bugging of the phone call between Ma and Hu as an accident, claiming that Chongqing's bugging equipment would sometimes latch on to calls not meant to be monitored, a source in Chongqing who often mixes with officials told Reuters. | Bo had protected himself and Wang Lijun by explaining away the apparent bugging of the phone call between Ma and Hu as an accident, claiming that Chongqing's bugging equipment would sometimes latch on to calls not meant to be monitored, a source in Chongqing who often mixes with officials told Reuters. |
| It is unclear why the central authorities did not move to act more quickly against Bo, who as late as January appeared determined to win a place in the politburo standing committee, the party's highest decision-making council, and seemed to enjoy the support of some senior officials, including the domestic security chief, Zhou Yongkang. | It is unclear why the central authorities did not move to act more quickly against Bo, who as late as January appeared determined to win a place in the politburo standing committee, the party's highest decision-making council, and seemed to enjoy the support of some senior officials, including the domestic security chief, Zhou Yongkang. |
| "The story about Ma Wen could be true but it also raises questions. It's very serious, so why wait?" a source in Beijing who knows Bo and other senior officials told Reuters. | "The story about Ma Wen could be true but it also raises questions. It's very serious, so why wait?" a source in Beijing who knows Bo and other senior officials told Reuters. |
| "Wherever Bo Xilai was posted he never got along with his superiors," the source said. "That was true when he was mayor of Dalian, in Liaoning, in the Ministry of Commerce. He was always suspicious of his superiors." | "Wherever Bo Xilai was posted he never got along with his superiors," the source said. "That was true when he was mayor of Dalian, in Liaoning, in the Ministry of Commerce. He was always suspicious of his superiors." |
| Bo Xilai's immediate and extended family are increasingly being tainted by the scandal. On the same day as the New York Times story came to light, Bo Xilai's brother Bo Xiyong stepped down from the Hong Kong board of China Everbright International due to what the company called "possible adverse media reports ... on his family background" – an obvious reference to the scandals swirling around Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai. | Bo Xilai's immediate and extended family are increasingly being tainted by the scandal. On the same day as the New York Times story came to light, Bo Xilai's brother Bo Xiyong stepped down from the Hong Kong board of China Everbright International due to what the company called "possible adverse media reports ... on his family background" – an obvious reference to the scandals swirling around Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai. |
| The alleged lavish lifestyle of UK-educated Bo Guagua, son of Bo Xilai, came into focus again on Wednesday when the Guardian revealed that the domain name guagua.com had been bought for £100,000 and registered to the same address as a company founded by his wealthy aunt. |