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Ousted From Party in China, Bo Xilai Faces Prosecution Ousted From Party in China, Bo Xilai Faces Prosecution
(about 9 hours later)
BEIJING — Chinese leaders announced on Friday that Bo Xilai, a disgraced Communist Party aristocrat, had been expelled from the party and would be prosecuted on criminal charges, as the date for the 18th Party Congress, climaxing China’s once-a-decade leadership transition, was scheduled to start on Nov. 8. BEIJING — Chinese leaders announced on Friday that Bo Xilai, a disgraced Communist Party aristocrat, had been expelled from the party and would be prosecuted on criminal charges. The leaders also said they had scheduled the 18th Party Congress, the climax of China’s once-a-decade leadership transition, to start on Nov. 8.
The two announcements ended months of speculation over two towering issues: how the party would handle Mr. Bo, the most critical player in the one of the biggest political scandals in decades; and when it would be ready to install a wave of new leaders, including Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, the men expected to become president and prime minister. The announcements ended months of uncertainty over how the party would handle Mr. Bo, the most critical player in one of the biggest political scandals in decades, and when it would be ready to install a new generation of leaders, including Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, the men expected to become president and prime minister.
Mr. Bo is accused, among other things, of abusing his power in relation to the case of a British businessman who authorities say was murdered by Mr. Bo’s wife and of taking “massive bribes” directly and through his family, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. Mr. Bo is accused, among other things, of abusing his power in the case of a British businessman who authorities say was murdered by Mr. Bo’s wife, and of taking “massive bribes” directly and through his family, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. The official report’s long list of accusations against Mr. Bo, which includes adultery, seems intended to bury Mr. Bo’s political career and diminish lingering support for him within the party and among the general public.
The Xinhua report also made the announcement of the date of the party congress on Nov. 8, a week after the start of a party planning session and two days after the American presidential election. Political insiders said the decisions over how to move ahead on Mr. Bo’s case and the timing of the party congress were linked, because the Bo issue had to be settled to a certain degree before the leadership transition could take place. But party elders, who have an important role in deciding the leadership lineup, could still be in conflict over other significant personnel issues. The Nov. 8 date, a week after the start of a party planning session and two days after the American presidential election, gives the elders time to try to conclude their negotiations.
The most watched part of the transition will be the announcement of who will get seats on the Politburo Standing Committee, the elite body that governs China by consensus and whose membership could be reduced to seven from nine this year. The most watched part of the transition will be the announcement of new members on the Politburo Standing Committee, the elite body that governs China by consensus and whose size could be reduced to seven from nine this year.
Political insiders said the decisions over how to move ahead on dealing with Mr. Bo and the timing of the party congress were linked, because the Bo issue had to be settled to a certain degree before the leadership transition could take place. The son of one of China’s revered revolutionary leaders, Mr. Bo, 63, the former party chief of the southwest metropolis of Chongqing, was one of the country’s most powerful politicians and considered a contender for the standing committee, before investigators this year began looking into the killing of Neil Heywood, a British citizen.
The son of one of China’s revered revolutionary leaders, Mr. Bo, 63, the former party chief of the southwest metropolis of Chongqing, was one of the most powerful politicians in China and considered a contender for the standing committee before investigators began looking early this year into the killing of Neil Heywood, a British citizen.
Gu Kailai, Mr. Bo’s wife, was convicted last month of murdering Mr. Heywood by poisoning and given a suspended death sentence, which means she will likely serve a long prison term, possibly life.Gu Kailai, Mr. Bo’s wife, was convicted last month of murdering Mr. Heywood by poisoning and given a suspended death sentence, which means she will likely serve a long prison term, possibly life.
The announcements came after a Politburo meeting here in Beijing on Friday. A weeklong national holiday is to start in China on Sunday, and many people had expected news on either Mr. Bo’s fate or the party congress before then. Officials in Chongqing began getting word of the move against Mr. Bo on Friday afternoon. The news was posted online by Xinhua at 6 p.m. on a Friday ahead of a weeklong national holiday.
The Xinhua report had a long list of accusations against Mr. Bo. The most serious appeared to be those relating to bribes and the Heywood murder, though no specific information was given. The most serious accusations against Mr. Bo appeared to be those relating to bribes and the Heywood murder, though no details were given. Ms. Gu was also accused of taking bribes. One Chongqing resident with government ties said officials had learned of the decision in afternoon meetings in that city; at one session, the attendees were told that Mr. Bo had taken several million renminbi in bribes and Ms. Gu had taken more than 20 million renminbi, or $3 million.
The report said he violated party discipline for many years, starting with posts in the city of Dalian and Liaoning Province, continuing during a stint as commerce minister, and extending through his four-year governance of Chongqing, where he was known for a so-called anticorruption crackdown and a revival of Mao-era patriotic songs through public singalongs. The Xinhua report also said Mr. Bo had violated party discipline for many years, starting with posts in the city of Dalian and Liaoning Province, continuing during a stint as commerce minister and extending through his four-year governance of Chongqing, where he was known for a so-called anticorruption crackdown and a revival of Mao-era patriotic songs through public singalongs.
The report also said investigators found Mr. Bo had “inappropriate sexual relationships with multiple women,” without giving names. Ms. Gu was also accused of taking bribes. The report also said investigators found Mr. Bo “had or maintained inappropriate sexual relationships with a number of women,” but did not give names. That line did not appear to be referring to potential criminal charges, but instead read like an attempt to soil the reputation of Mr. Bo in the eyes of ordinary Chinese. Officials in Chongqing were also told of Mr. Bo’s improper relationships, as well as those of Wang Lijun, a former police chief, and Wu Wenkang, another Bo associate in the government, said the resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of a fear of official reprisal.
The public airing of such serious and sordid charges showed that party leaders had reached agreement that Mr. Bo had to be dealt with severely. Mr. Bo was a charismatic leader who, using his platform in Chongqing, had espoused populist policies and gathered an ardent following, especially among believers of a leftist revival where the state would impose economic equality. The public airing of such serious and sordid charges showed that party leaders had reached agreement that Mr. Bo had to be dealt with severely. Mr. Bo was a charismatic leader who had used his platform in Chongqing to espouse populist policies and attract an ardent following, especially among believers of a leftist revival where the state would impose economic equality. Even recently, Mr. Bo’s political allies, which include other “princelings,” or children of party leaders, had privately argued in his defense, going against a push by President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao for the party to act quickly and harshly.
It is unclear when a criminal trial for Mr. Bo would begin. Mr. Bo has been detained since March, when he was dismissed from his party chief position. He was suspended from the Politburo the following month. The state news media said Mr. Bo was under investigation for “serious disciplinary violations.” The strong-willed Mr. Bo and his flamboyant style of politicking were regarded as threats by many of the current and ascending leaders. He was seen as a potential rival to Mr. Xi, a fellow princeling in line to become party chief and president. The Chongqing resident with official ties said that even after his detention, Mr. Bo’s sense of superiority remained undiminished — Mr. Bo refused to cooperate with investigators and cursed them instead.
Li Zhuang, a lawyer who served an 18-month prison sentence in Chongqing during Mr. Bo’s crackdown after being found guilty of suborning perjury, welcomed the announcement of the accusations against Mr. Bo. He Weifang, a law professor at Peking University and critic of Mr. Bo’s policies, said the announcement “indicates that the senior decision makers are furious with Bo’s behavior, and they are going to adopt the most severe methods against him. What Bo has done has not only been viewed as a crime, but more important has been considered a challenge to authority and to the established party line, which cannot be tolerated.”
It is unclear when a criminal trial for Mr. Bo would begin, but Xinhua said the case had been handed from party investigators over to the judiciary. Mr. Bo has been detained since March, when he was dismissed from his party chief position. He was suspended from the Politburo the following month. The state news media said Mr. Bo was under investigation for “serious disciplinary violations.”
Li Zhuang, a lawyer who served an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted of suborning perjury during Mr. Bo’s crackdown, welcomed the announcement.
Mr. Li’s case inspired an outcry among Chinese liberals, who accused Mr. Bo and police officers in Chongqing of taking aim at civilians who had nothing to do with organized crime.Mr. Li’s case inspired an outcry among Chinese liberals, who accused Mr. Bo and police officers in Chongqing of taking aim at civilians who had nothing to do with organized crime.
“This is great news, but also quite expected,” Mr. Li said in a telephone interview. “This is how things should be.”“This is great news, but also quite expected,” Mr. Li said in a telephone interview. “This is how things should be.”
Mr. Li said he had been in Chongqing recently speaking with family members of people convicted during the crackdown. Some leftist intellectuals, though, said after the announcement that they wanted to make it clear that the party had not rejected the ideals that Mr. Bo promoted during his red nostalgia campaign. “All the accusations against Bo are over his unethical lifestyle and loose morals,” said Sima Nan, a Maoist scholar. “They didn’t criticize the Chongqing model. They didn’t say what was wrong with the ideology, principles and policies that Bo had adopted.”
“Now that Bo has been expelled from the Communist Party,” he said, “there’s more hope for them to get justice.”

Jonathan Ansfield contributed reporting. Mia Li and Shi Da contributed research.

Jonathan Ansfield contributed reporting. Mia Li and Shi Da contributed research.