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Fallen Official’s Trial Begins in China Fallen Official’s Trial Begins in China
(about 4 hours later)
JINAN, China — The trial of Bo Xilai, the fallen Communist Party aristocrat, began Thursday morning in a closed-door hearing in this eastern provincial capital, after security officers, journalists and some supporters of the charismatic Mr. Bo had fanned out in the streets around a downtown courthouse, looking for signs of how the session might unfold. JINAN, China — The trial of Bo Xilai, the fallen Communist Party aristocrat, began Thursday morning in a closed-door hearing in this eastern provincial capital after security officers, journalists and some supporters of the charismatic Mr. Bo had fanned out in the streets around a downtown courthouse, looking for signs of how the session might unfold.
A microblog post by the court said that Mr. Bo was brought in around 8:50 a.m., and that the prosecution read out the charges against him. Before 11:30 a.m., the court posted a photograph of Mr. Bo standing in a white collared shirt and black pants between two police officers. His hair was cut relatively short, and he stared ahead with a bemused look, his eyebrows slightly raised. A microblog post by the court said that Mr. Bo was brought in around 8:50 a.m., and that the prosecution read out the charges against him. Before 11:30 a.m., the court posted a photograph of Mr. Bo standing in a white-collared shirt and black pants between two police officers. His hair was cut relatively short, and he stared ahead with a bemused look, his eyebrows slightly raised.
The morning session ended with Mr. Bo denying taking bribes from a businessman named Tang Xiaolin. The bribes were a fraction of the more than 21 million renminbi, or $3.4 million, in bribes that he and his immediate family members are accused of taking. People briefed on the case said another businessman, Xu Ming, is said by prosecutors to have given most of the bribes. Mr. Bo did not address that in the morning session. The morning session ended with Mr. Bo denying having taken 1.1 million renminbi, or $180,000, in bribes from a businessman named Tang Xiaolin. The amount was a fraction of the more than 21 million renminbi in bribes that he and his immediate family members are accused of taking. Prosecutors said another businessman, Xu Ming, gave more than 20.6 million renminbi in bribes.
In the afternoon, some of the evidence related to Mr. Xu was presented, and Mr. Bo rejected accusations of wrongdoing in those instances too. The evidence included discussion of a villa in southern France that supposedly formed a substantial part of the bribes.
The testimony from Mr. Tang was presented in a video in the courtroom, and so was brief testimony from Gu Kailai, Mr. Bo’s wife, who is now in prison. Mr. Bo called his wife’s testimony “comical,” and of Mr. Tang he said: “By watching the video footage of Tang Xiaolin, I really see an ugly performance from a person who sold his soul.”
The scandal that brought down Mr. Bo is arguably the biggest one to shake the party in decades, and China’s leaders have had to take into account powerful competing forces — from liberal party officials who have denounced Mr. Bo to revolutionary families still close to him — while preparing for the trial.The scandal that brought down Mr. Bo is arguably the biggest one to shake the party in decades, and China’s leaders have had to take into account powerful competing forces — from liberal party officials who have denounced Mr. Bo to revolutionary families still close to him — while preparing for the trial.
Detained by security officials since March 2012, Mr. Bo was indicted in late July on charges of corruption, taking bribes and abuse of power. The charges came almost one year after his wife, Gu Kailai, was given a suspended death sentence for murdering Neil Heywood, a British family associate. The trial that began Thursday is expected to be the final blow to Mr. Bo’s vaunted political career. Until last year, he was one of 25 Politburo members and the party chief of the municipality of Chongqing; he had even been considered a candidate for one of the very highest party posts, which were handed out last November. Detained by security officials since March 2012, Mr. Bo was indicted in late July on charges of corruption, taking bribes and abuse of power. The charges came almost one year after Ms. Gu was given a suspended death sentence for murdering Neil Heywood, a British family associate. The trial that began Thursday is expected to be the final blow to Mr. Bo’s vaunted political career. Until last year, he was one of 25 Politburo members and the party chief of the municipality of Chongqing; he had even been considered a candidate for one of the very highest party posts, which were handed out last November.
The Bo case has exposed deep-rooted corruption and vindictiveness at the top levels of the party and cast a spotlight on the growing power of the “princelings,” those privileged Chinese who are the children or grandchildren of the Communist revolutionary leaders. Like the obsession with royal families in other countries, many Chinese are alternately fascinated and repelled by the princelings, whose ranks include Mr. Bo and Xi Jinping, China’s top leader.The Bo case has exposed deep-rooted corruption and vindictiveness at the top levels of the party and cast a spotlight on the growing power of the “princelings,” those privileged Chinese who are the children or grandchildren of the Communist revolutionary leaders. Like the obsession with royal families in other countries, many Chinese are alternately fascinated and repelled by the princelings, whose ranks include Mr. Bo and Xi Jinping, China’s top leader.
One Bo family associate said a rehearsal of the trial was held Tuesday in Jinan, with Mr. Bo reportedly in attendance. What Mr. Bo would say — or be allowed to say — in court has been one of the central questions hovering over the trial. On Monday, Mr. Bo’s youngest son, Bo Guagua, 25, who is in orientation week at Columbia Law School, said in a statement to The New York Times that he hoped his father would be “granted the opportunity to answer his critics and defend himself without constraints of any kind.”One Bo family associate said a rehearsal of the trial was held Tuesday in Jinan, with Mr. Bo reportedly in attendance. What Mr. Bo would say — or be allowed to say — in court has been one of the central questions hovering over the trial. On Monday, Mr. Bo’s youngest son, Bo Guagua, 25, who is in orientation week at Columbia Law School, said in a statement to The New York Times that he hoped his father would be “granted the opportunity to answer his critics and defend himself without constraints of any kind.”
On Wednesday, police officers in light-blue uniforms stood at the gate outside the courthouse and along a patch of sidewalk across the street, where a holding pen for journalists had been erected with colorful plastic barriers. On occasion, a supporter of Mr. Bo would show up yelling a slogan, or a petitioner with an unrelated grievance would unfurl a banner, and the officers would urge them to move on. Paramilitary police officers in green uniforms stood beneath a nearby overpass, next to a fire truck.On Wednesday, police officers in light-blue uniforms stood at the gate outside the courthouse and along a patch of sidewalk across the street, where a holding pen for journalists had been erected with colorful plastic barriers. On occasion, a supporter of Mr. Bo would show up yelling a slogan, or a petitioner with an unrelated grievance would unfurl a banner, and the officers would urge them to move on. Paramilitary police officers in green uniforms stood beneath a nearby overpass, next to a fire truck.
Some of Mr. Bo’s supporters have become more vocal in recent days, against the wishes of party leaders, who presumably want the trial to end quickly and without causing further political rifts.Some of Mr. Bo’s supporters have become more vocal in recent days, against the wishes of party leaders, who presumably want the trial to end quickly and without causing further political rifts.
“The people, of course, will support Bo Xilai, especially the people of Chongqing,” Han Deqiang, a college professor and co-founder of a leftist Web site, said in a telephone interview. “But since our party central has said so, they are unable to do anything about it. Maybe one day in the future, history will rehabilitate this unjust case.”“The people, of course, will support Bo Xilai, especially the people of Chongqing,” Han Deqiang, a college professor and co-founder of a leftist Web site, said in a telephone interview. “But since our party central has said so, they are unable to do anything about it. Maybe one day in the future, history will rehabilitate this unjust case.”
Mr. Bo, 64, certainly has his critics, including liberals who label his “strike black” anticorruption drive in Chongqing an affront to human rights. And the announcement last Sunday of the trial date indicated that the top ranks of the party had remained united on how to deal with Mr. Bo. One year ago, after the Heywood scandal became public, party leaders and elders agreed to fully end Mr. Bo’s career, despite the fact that he is the son and political heir of one of the “Eight Immortals” of the party, Bo Yibo.Mr. Bo, 64, certainly has his critics, including liberals who label his “strike black” anticorruption drive in Chongqing an affront to human rights. And the announcement last Sunday of the trial date indicated that the top ranks of the party had remained united on how to deal with Mr. Bo. One year ago, after the Heywood scandal became public, party leaders and elders agreed to fully end Mr. Bo’s career, despite the fact that he is the son and political heir of one of the “Eight Immortals” of the party, Bo Yibo.
Political analysts said the exact charges and their substance had been calibrated to ensure that the public could accept officials’ handing Mr. Bo a long prison sentence, probably 15 to 20 years or a life term.Political analysts said the exact charges and their substance had been calibrated to ensure that the public could accept officials’ handing Mr. Bo a long prison sentence, probably 15 to 20 years or a life term.