Changes

Bo Xilai sat on the 25-member Party Politburo and Central Committee and was Party Secretary of a powerful municipality.  Bo styled himself as a champion of the poor and dispossessed, supporting the state-run economy, lead a crackdown on supposed organized crime bosses, and fanned nostalgia for the violent [[Antifa|Anti-fascist]] Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.  Bo's rhetoric was critical of the [[income gap]] and broken promises to the [[working class]] that accompanied China's rise to become the world's second-largest economy. Bo was widely reported as a candidate for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee.

Bo Xilai sat on the 25-member Party Politburo and Central Committee and was Party Secretary of a powerful municipality.  Bo styled himself as a champion of the poor and dispossessed, supporting the state-run economy, lead a crackdown on supposed organized crime bosses, and fanned nostalgia for the violent [[Antifa|Anti-fascist]] Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.  Bo's rhetoric was critical of the [[income gap]] and broken promises to the [[working class]] that accompanied China's rise to become the world's second-largest economy. Bo was widely reported as a candidate for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee.

Bo's wife was convicted of [[murder]] of a British businessman in August 2012.  Bo's vice mayor was convicted of “bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking” in September 2012.  Days later, the Party Politburo expelled Bo from the Party's ranks and announced that it was transferring his case to state judicial authorities. The Party investigation concluded that Bo “bore major responsibility” in the cases of his vice-mayor's actions and his wife's involvement in the murder, and alleged that he “took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family.”  [[Social media]] brought the scandal to light, creating problems for existing leadership.</ref> had this particular murder victim not been foreign, the case likely would never have been investigated.  Like in American politics, scandals and coverups often take a different narrative than true underlying facts. Bo, a "reformer and corruption fighter", was removed and prosecuted on corruption charges.  The 2012 Bo Xilai Affair highlighted the degree to which the families of top Party officials were able to parlay access to political power into vast personal wealth.   

Bo's wife was convicted of [[murder]] of a British businessman in August 2012.  Bo's vice mayor was convicted of “bending the law for selfish ends, defection, abuse of power and bribe-taking” in September 2012.  Days later, the Party Politburo expelled Bo from the Party's ranks and announced that it was transferring his case to state judicial authorities. The Party investigation concluded that Bo “bore major responsibility” in the cases of his vice-mayor's actions and his wife's involvement in the murder, and alleged that he “took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family.”  [[Social media]] brought the scandal to light, creating problems for existing leadership. Had this particular murder victim not been foreign, the case likely would never have been investigated.  Like in American politics, scandals and coverups often take a different narrative than true underlying facts. Bo, a "reformer and corruption fighter", was removed and prosecuted on corruption charges.  The 2012 Bo Xilai Affair highlighted the degree to which the families of top Party officials were able to parlay access to political power into vast personal wealth.   

On the night of March 19, 2012, Zhou Yongkang, then secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of the Communist Party of China, launched an attempted coup. It is reported that the purpose was to snatch the key witness of the Bo Xilai case, the wealthy businessman Xu Ming of Dalian Shide, and to assassinate the former Premier Wen Jiabao. It is also said that Zhou Yongkang mobilized large-scale armed police forces to surround Xinhuamen and Tiananmen. Hu Jintao rushed the 38th Army into Beijing and confronted the armed police outside the Political and Legal Committee building. The armed police fired warning shots to the sky, but the elite troops of the 38th Army quickly disarmed all the armed police. Many Beijing residents heard gunshots that night.

On the night of March 19, 2012, Zhou Yongkang, then secretary of the Political and Legal Committee of the Communist Party of China, launched an attempted coup. It is reported that the purpose was to snatch the key witness of the Bo Xilai case, the wealthy businessman Xu Ming of Dalian Shide, and to assassinate the former Premier Wen Jiabao. It is also said that Zhou Yongkang mobilized large-scale armed police forces to surround Xinhuamen and Tiananmen. Hu Jintao rushed the 38th Army into Beijing and confronted the armed police outside the Political and Legal Committee building. The armed police fired warning shots to the sky, but the elite troops of the 38th Army quickly disarmed all the armed police. Many Beijing residents heard gunshots that night.