Bo Xilai: The downfall of a 'princeling'

Former Chongqing Mayor Bo Xilai seemed destined for the top echelon of Chinese politics until his spectacular fall from grace last month.

Bo, the son of famed Communist Party figure Bo Yibo, made his name as leader of the port city of Dalian before taking over the western metropolis of Chongqing.

Ably abetted by his lawyer wife Gu Kailai, Bo's four-year spell in charge of Chongqing was marked by his populist policies, a war on organized crime, welfare largesse for the poor and a return to veneration of Mao Zedong and China's revolutionary era.

But the Bo fairytale started to unravel a few weeks ago when his crime-fighting police chief Wang Lijun attempted to defect at the US embassy in Chengdu.

Wang reportedly decided enough was enough when he discovered Bo's wife was involved in the death of Neil Heywood, a UK business consultant and long term friend of the Bo's, who was found dead in a Chongqing hotel room last year after allegedly falling out with them 'over economic interests.'

Bo was suddenly deposed as party leader for Chongqing in March while Gu was arrested last week in connection with Heywood's death. The 'Chongqing model' as Bo once proudly promoted
would now appear to be defunct while a propaganda campaign is educating the public of the Bo's various alleged abuses of power.

Did Bo get what he deserved?

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  News & Politics

[timfidotru]

There are 3 reasons for his downfall:

- defection case of his police chief and right hand

- allegations of corruption, involving his family

- shady death of a British citizen he had ties with.

[gelivablewu]

当他在位时，说他是大陆的小马哥，现在出事了，马上攻击他的一切­行为。人都有两面，没有绝对的好和绝对的坏。在一个没有民主的中­国，政治斗争没有对错，只有输赢。

[Dawn li]

That's a conspiracy to beat down Bo xilai by CIA and President Hu, the dark political of China, the tragety of Chinese people.

[标 马]

垃圾的视频

[moodyaone]

... love the BMW stuck behind the tank.

[ttartee]

Retarded clip.

[rollor001]

薄的垮台不可能成为其他贪官的借鉴。他贪污腐败那么多年都没事，­中央领导还支持他的重庆模式。人们只能说，他最后垮台的原因是运­气不佳。

[cirmso]

Not really. There's only one real reason: he's on the wrong side of Chinese politics.

[roguemale57]

xilai's wife was having an affair with the murdered british atleast that's how i heard it.