WATCHING THAT FACE: BO XILAI SPEAKS UP IN COURT

FIRST DAY OF THE 

TRIAL OF FORMER 

CCP POLITBURO MEMBER 

BO XILAI 

August 22, 2013 

BO XILAI CHAIRING 
THE LIAONING PROVINCE DELEGATION 
TO THE 16TH PARTY CONGRESS
Beijing, November 2002 

Today was finally the first day of the deposed Politburo member's trial. When I wrote "Watch This Face" three years ago (here), was there anyone who could have imagined these developments? His political life gone, the prospect of legal retribution for "corruption" looming, towered over by two apparently especially chosen extra-tall guards, Bo Xilai, finally given a chance to speak at least semi-publicly (there are dispatches from the court but no live or total video), was indeed speaking up for himself and contesting the prosecution case -- not going softly into the history books -- if he could help it.

It is thought that there will likely be one more day of the trial, and that the outcome is not likely to be in doubt. 

Some background and ongoing coverage, including grab shots from the courtroom, can be found here and here and here and here.   

FIVE YEARS SINCE BARACK OBAMA BROKE THE CAMPAIGN FINANCING SYSTEM -- AND WON THE ELECTION

BARACK OBAMA 

ANNOUNCES 

HE WILL NOT 

TAKE MONEY 

FROM THE 

PUBLIC FINANCING 

SYSTEM 

June 19, 2008 

"UNITE FOR CHANGE"

LOTS & LOTS & LOTS 

OF "CHANGE" 

Millions and Millions of Dollars of  
"Change" 

Yes, the campaign was against "unilateral disarmament" on the financial front; it could argue that it got lots of small contributions -- but already right away, five years ago, the stark fact was that "Obama is the first U.S. presidential candidate to bypass the public financing system since it was created after the Watergate scandal in the mid-1970s" (Reuters, June 21, 2008, here). 

THEY'RE STANDING BY THEIR MAN -- SO HE SAYS: DONALD TSANG, HONG KONG, AND BEIJING

BEIJING'S MAN

IN

HONG KONG --

FOR NOW

Chinese President HU JINTAO (waving) &

Hong Kong Chief Executive

DONALD TSANG YAM-KUEN (bow tie)

November 2008

Hong Kong, like Beijing, is due to have a leadership change at the top later this year. First, one of the Beijing-favored candidates for the top post was accused of corruption (see here), and now the outgoing Chief Executive, Donald Tsang Yam-Kuen, has been tarred with the same brush of scandal. Some of the details of the alleged violations of propriety can be found here.

In Beijing for the annual session of the National People's Congress, Tsang announced (here) that he had the Chinese leadership's backing for filling out the rest of his term. That term has only a few more months to go. But tongues are wagging, and computer keyboards are clicking, with speculation that returning to China, even as a Special Autonomous Region (SAR), has had bad effects on Hong Kong. One article warns (here) that "the danger signs of corruption" are "blinking in Hong Kong."

More on Sir Donald Tsang here and here.

HE GUOQIANG TURNS SIXTY-EIGHT THIS MONTH

HE GUOQIANG

b. October 1943

HE GUOQIANG

#8 OUT OF NINE IN THE RULING

CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY HIERARCHY

(POLITBURO STANDING COMMITTEE)

CHAIR, CENTRAL DISCIPLINE INSPECTION COMMITTEE

THE ANTI-CORRUPTION "CZAR"