Bo Xilai Scandal
The defection of Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun to a US consulate triggered an investigation into Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai; his wife Gu Kailai was convicted of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood, and Bo was subsequently expelled from the Party and imprisoned for corruption and abuse of power.
Bo Xilai and the Chongqing Model
Bo Xilai had built his political career on the "Chongqing Model": aggressive economic development combined with neo-Maoist cultural campaigns ("singing red songs") and a high-profile crackdown on organised crime. He was widely seen as a contender for the Politburo Standing Committee at the 18th Party Congress in 2012. His combination of populist politics and elite connections made him both powerful and threatening to the Party establishment.
The Scandal Unfolds
In February 2012, Bo's police chief Wang Lijun attempted to defect to the US Consulate in Chengdu, triggering an investigation. Wang disclosed that Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, had murdered British businessman Neil Heywood over a business dispute. Heywood had been found dead in a Chongqing hotel room in November 2011, initially ruled a heart attack. Gu Kailai was convicted of murder in August 2012 and received a suspended death sentence. Bo Xilai was expelled from the Party in September 2012 and sentenced to life imprisonment for bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power in September 2013.
Political Significance
The Bo Xilai scandal was the most dramatic political crisis since Tiananmen, exposing elite corruption, factional struggle, and the fragility of the post-Deng collective leadership model. It removed the most prominent proponent of a Maoist alternative to Deng-era pragmatism from the political stage. Xi Jinping, who succeeded Hu Jintao at the 18th Party Congress in November 2012, used the scandal to justify his sweeping anti-corruption campaign and consolidation of power.