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With Official’s Conviction, China Calls Attention to Graft Crackdown With Official’s Conviction, China Calls Attention to Its Crackdown on Corruption
(about 2 hours later)
HONG KONG — With one of China’s most divisive politicians, Bo Xilai, banished to life in prison on Sunday, the Communist Party stepped up its efforts to convince a scandal-weary public that the spectacle of his trial proved that national leaders were serious about rooting out official corruption.HONG KONG — With one of China’s most divisive politicians, Bo Xilai, banished to life in prison on Sunday, the Communist Party stepped up its efforts to convince a scandal-weary public that the spectacle of his trial proved that national leaders were serious about rooting out official corruption.
Guards took Mr. Bo away after a court in eastern China declared him guilty of accepting bribes, embezzling state funds and abusing his power in a failed attempt to thwart a murder investigation involving his wife. While he can still appeal the verdict, the Communist Party controls China’s judiciary, and the chances are scant that any judge would overturn the verdict or reduce his sentence of life in prison. Guards took Mr. Bo away in handcuffs after a court in eastern China declared him guilty of accepting bribes, embezzling state funds and abusing his power in a failed attempt to thwart a murder investigation involving his wife. While he can still appeal the verdict, the Communist Party controls China’s judiciary, and the chances are scant that any judge would overturn the verdict or reduce his sentence of life in prison.
Instead, Mr. Bo is likely to disappear from public life for decades, at least, ending a career in which he defied the staid ways of Chinese politics and reinvented himself as a populist defender of socialist virtues. China’s state-run news media portrayed the judgment as proof that the party leadership under Xi Jinping is determined to end the bribe-taking, graft and brazen self-enrichment that have fed widespread public disenchantment with officials.Instead, Mr. Bo is likely to disappear from public life for decades, at least, ending a career in which he defied the staid ways of Chinese politics and reinvented himself as a populist defender of socialist virtues. China’s state-run news media portrayed the judgment as proof that the party leadership under Xi Jinping is determined to end the bribe-taking, graft and brazen self-enrichment that have fed widespread public disenchantment with officials.
“The resolute legal punishment of Bo Xilai fully demonstrates that there are no exceptions before party discipline and state law,” said a commentary scheduled to appear Monday in the party’s main newspaper, People’s Daily. The editorial was published beforehand on the newspaper’s Web site. “The resolute legal punishment of Bo Xilai fully demonstrates that there are no exceptions before party discipline and state law,” said a commentary published Monday in the party’s main newspaper, People’s Daily. The commentary was repeated by many Chinese news Web sites. “No matter who is involved, they will all be investigated to the end and will all be sternly punished according to the law,” the commentary said.
“No matter who is involved, they will all be investigated to the end and will all be sternly punished according to the law,” the commentary said. “Only by always maintaining high pressure in punishing and eradicating corruption, and by insisting on stiff legal punishment of corruption, can we mend party ways and ease public opinion.”
Mr. Xi, who was appointed party leader in November, has frequently vowed to strike down “flies” and “tigers”: both low- and high-ranking officials caught in corruption. Investigations into China’s biggest oil conglomerate and into the military offer Mr. Xi and his allies the potential opportunity to pursue a number of such so-called tigers. But even analysts who applauded the sentence for Mr. Bo voiced skepticism about how far party leaders were willing to go.Mr. Xi, who was appointed party leader in November, has frequently vowed to strike down “flies” and “tigers”: both low- and high-ranking officials caught in corruption. Investigations into China’s biggest oil conglomerate and into the military offer Mr. Xi and his allies the potential opportunity to pursue a number of such so-called tigers. But even analysts who applauded the sentence for Mr. Bo voiced skepticism about how far party leaders were willing to go.
“I think that with Bo Xilai, the authorities wanted to send a signal that if senior officials challenge central authority or break the law, they will be ruthlessly punished,” said Deng Yuwen, a media commentator in Beijing who formerly worked for a party newspaper.“I think that with Bo Xilai, the authorities wanted to send a signal that if senior officials challenge central authority or break the law, they will be ruthlessly punished,” said Deng Yuwen, a media commentator in Beijing who formerly worked for a party newspaper.
“But it’s hard to say if they are willing to take this very far beyond Bo Xilai,” said Mr. Deng in a telephone interview. “If you pursue corruption allegations in these circles, you quickly find that the number of people implicated and their connections make these cases very difficult, very complicated. They might not want another case like Bo Xilai’s, at least not in public.” Indeed, Mr. Bo’s trial and conviction gave the public an unusually unsparing view into the cronyism and extravagance that many Chinese citizens assume are endemic in the party elite. Unlike other senior politicians put on trial in recent decades, Mr. Bo was given thorough coverage, through an Internet feed that the court used to provide selective but abundant details from the proceedings.
Indeed, Mr. Bo’s trial and conviction gave the public an unusually unsparing view into the cronyism and extravagance that many Chinese citizens assume are endemic in the party elite. Unlike other senior politicians put on trial in recent decades, Mr. Bo was given thorough coverage, through an Internet feed that the court in Jinan, in Shandong Province, used to provide selective but abundant details from the proceedings. Mr. Bo, 64, the former party secretary of Chongqing, in southwest China, presented himself as a business-minded and sharply-dressed exponent of socialist egalitarianism. But the court found that Mr. Bo accepted, through his wife, Gu Kailai, and son, Bo Guagua, bribes from Chinese businessmen that totaled about $3.3 million, much of it used to pay for a villa in France. The court said Ms. Gu and Bo Guagua habitually turned to a Chinese businessman, Xu Ming, to pay for travel expenses, credit card bills and novelties like a Segway.
Mr. Bo, 64, the former party secretary of Chongqing, in southwest China, presented himself as a business-minded and sharply-dressed exponent of socialist egalitarianism. But the court found that Mr. Bo accepted, through his wife, Gu Kailai, and son, Bo Guagua, bribes from Chinese businessmen that totaled about $3.3 million, much of it used to pay for a villa in France. The court said Ms. Gu and Bo Guagua, habitually turned to a Chinese businessman, Xu Ming, to pay for travel expenses, credit card bills and novelties like a Segway.
The court found that Bo Xilai’s handling of murder allegations against his wife amounted to an abuse of power. It said Mr. Bo’s actions played a major role in prompting his former police chief in Chongqing, Wang Lijun, to seek refuge in a United States consulate for nearly 36 hours in February of last year and then disclose the allegations that Ms. Gu was involved in the murder of a British businessman, Neil Heywood, in November 2011.The court found that Bo Xilai’s handling of murder allegations against his wife amounted to an abuse of power. It said Mr. Bo’s actions played a major role in prompting his former police chief in Chongqing, Wang Lijun, to seek refuge in a United States consulate for nearly 36 hours in February of last year and then disclose the allegations that Ms. Gu was involved in the murder of a British businessman, Neil Heywood, in November 2011.
Ms. Gu was convicted of the murder in August 2012 and given a suspended death sentence, meaning that she is likely to spend the rest of her life in prison. Mr. Wang was convicted of defection and other crimes in September of last year and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Ms. Gu was convicted of the murder in August 2012 and given a suspended death sentence, meaning she is likely to spend the rest of her life in prison. Mr. Wang was convicted of defection and other crimes in September of last year and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
“The life sentence for Bo was a little heavier than many people expected,” said Li Weidong, a former magazine editor in Beijing who often writes about party politics. “He probably angered the leaders by resisting all the charges and pleading innocent. That’s not what toppled officials are generally supposed to do.”“The life sentence for Bo was a little heavier than many people expected,” said Li Weidong, a former magazine editor in Beijing who often writes about party politics. “He probably angered the leaders by resisting all the charges and pleading innocent. That’s not what toppled officials are generally supposed to do.”
Even while Mr. Bo waited for the verdict from his trial, which was held last month, party investigators expanded a corruption investigation in China’s oil sector, encroaching on Zhou Yongkang, the once seemingly invulnerable head of China’s domestic security apparatus. Managers of the China National Petroleum Corporation and its listed arm, past and present, have been named in the inquiry, and Mr. Zhou has longstanding ties with the company and several of the managers. Mr. Xi appears to hope that the punishment of Mr. Bo and other fallen officials will deter corruption, without the need for political changes that would subject leaders to much more intense public scrutiny, Mr. Li said.
But several observers said Mr. Xi and other party leaders were likely to resist pursuing formal punishment of Mr. Zhou, even if any allegations are proved. That would be too contentious and destabilizing, said Mr. Deng, the commentator.
Mr. Xi appears to hope that the punishment of Mr. Bo and other fallen officials will deter corruption, without the need for political changes that would subject leaders to much more intense public scrutiny, said Mr. Li, the former magazine editor.
“It’s like the emperors who tried to cure corruption without changing the imperial court,” Mr. Li said. “This is not about institutional change; it’s about Xi establishing his image as a clean emperor.”“It’s like the emperors who tried to cure corruption without changing the imperial court,” Mr. Li said. “This is not about institutional change; it’s about Xi establishing his image as a clean emperor.”