Mr.Xilai is a former incumbent of the Central Politburo of the Communist Party of China; it acts as the executive branch of China, or ultimate political authority. He served as the Secretary of the Central Politburo of Chongqing. Professor Han Deqiang Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics disagrees with Bo Xilai’s sentencing to life in prison. Many Chinese citizens believe that the lavish lifestyles are a thing of normalcy amongst the bourgeoisie and senior government officials, and those cases similar to Xilai’s have earned a lesser sentence, especially one who held such a prominent figure in office. “This shows that power is bigger than the law, that politics is bigger than the law.” (Economist) If anything his statement shows a level of discord between the lower classes of China and the high-ranking officials. The disparity in wealth however is only one of the problems circulating China. Others speculate that under the Communist Part Bo Xialai’s sentence was lenient, as he could have earned the death sentence for such major crimes. What exactly was the Communist Party of China trying to accomplish? Will this in turn lead to a war of social class and political systems? An internal imbalance often doesn't yield much rationality from the country's leaders, and communism is not exempt from the list. Their successes and failures in condemning Xilai might mean a similar fate to those who help structure and support their government. Those who were given a specific amount of privilege in the CPC might meet an end like embezzler Xilai, something the party now appeals NOT to stand for. If anything open communication and loyalty between those investigating and cooperating is imperative for smooth government functioning.
The Communist Party of China has the ability to wield media and law at its disposition and recently has taken to rooting through its highest officials to ensure public policy safety and efficiency. What makes this case vary unique is the notion and rarity that such a public official’s crime comes to light. Especially since the last big case to shake up as much as Xilai’s trial in China was Mao Zedong’s widow, widow of the man who forged much of the People’s Republic of China and fore fronted many communist ideals. That was nearly 35 years prior to Bo Xilai’s trial itself if that says anything about the secrecy or scrutiny of the Chinese government. Despite the judicial system being seemingly separate, decisions are conclusively made by high up party officials of the CPC. Arguably this whole case was an attempt by the Communist Party to make an example of Bo Xilai’s failure to put country before self, otherwise his case would not have been allowed to reach as much publicity as it did. If bringing such a high-ranking politician to his knees was a means to show a faux vulnerability and just side of the CPC, it was only hap-hazardly accomplished. Bo Xilai, despite condemning evidence remained resilient until the end, forfeiting his future and reputation in the process. He really is living the prisoner’s dilemma, playing a game with the State. Should he have chosen pleading guilty, the sentence could have either been lessened if he showed remorse, or like trials before sentenced him to death? At the same time he chose to play it safe and claim innocence to the end, as at least there is a possibility his sentence could be reduced if his trial is reopened and disproven or his prison behavior reads “rehabilitation and compromise.” (New York Times) A gamble for Bo Xilai, only if the CPC doesn’t remain certain to its conviction, and fails to follow through with its anti-corruption campaign in China. If that's the case, and the anti-corruption campaign takes full throttle in China, there might be quite a few successful cases coming up in years to come.
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First I want to say thank you for posting about this story. I had no idea that this was going on and it is really interesting! It seems like the Chinese government is wanting to put on a show. They want to show the Chinese people that the government is held accountable...even though I am sure that is not necessarily entirely true. Since the Chinese people are sacrificing the individual for the betterment of the whole, the government wants to show the people that they are doing the same. By having such a public condemnation of a high up official who is out for personal gain, gives the people the sense of security that the upper levels of government is also sacrificing, in some way, the individual for the whole.
ReplyDeleteTaken as a whole, Bo Xilai’s scandal represents much more than just the fall of a popular Communist Party official. The Chinese government frequently silences voices of opposition, be they citizens of Tibet, members of the Falun Gong movement, or urban intellectuals calling for state reform. Yet Bo was a prominent member of the CCP and a representative of the “princeling faction”- an elite group composed of descendants of revolutionaries. Bo’s whole anti-corruption drive and emphasis on spending on public welfare represented a united front with the people against the inequalities of a capitalist economy-something that the Communist Party has largely failed to address in its quest for wealth. Ultimately, I believe it was Bo Xilai’s Maoist ideologies and overwhelming support from the people that posed too much of a threat to the government’s goal of a “harmonious society”, thus prompting his ouster from the political realm and recent conviction.
ReplyDeleteThank you Elizabeth (And Morgan) for responding. I wasn't too knowledgeable on the subject starting off, but such a big case making headline deserves a little spotlight of it's own. I hope this analysis was thorough enough. I was surprised to learn the amount of Maoist supporters still left, but as we likewise have individuals who grew up during the Cold War era still alive today, it shouldn't be surprising to see individuals still clinging to ideals their parents and grandparents handed down. I personally don't think this is the last we'll hear from China regarding ousting of officials and a government revision.
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely an interesting case study emphasizing the lack of information in international politics. In such a closed off political system as China's government it is difficult to discern true intentions. There has been a lot of talk recently about the sheer volume of corruption within the Chinese government, and how this could possibly hinder the countries recent trend of fast economic growth. It could be that getting rid of a high profile corruption case could bring in more investment abroad as outsiders think that the country is seriously dealing with domestic problems. Or it could be just another method of control over a subject that posed a threat to the government. The problem looking into the situation from the outside is that we have no way of knowing the true intentions of a much more closed off system than our own.
ReplyDeleteI'm also really glad you posted about this. I think it's really important to highlight the fact that this story is so public because, as you mentioned, corruption within the government in the past hasn't been so apparent. I was living in China this summer when this was all happening, and it was really interesting to be directly observing the impact of this scandal within the country. I met people who, despite the news stories being put out about him, still supported Bo Xilai with fervency. I also met people who were disgusted at how Bo Xilai was representing China. I was teaching in Xi'an and my students would always ask what my opinion was as an American. It was a really big deal when Bo Xilai's wife on July 26th were charged with "intentional homicide." Everywhere I went people were talking about it. I think making this topic so public was a good move made by the Chinese government. I think holding officials accountable is definitely a step forward in earning trust of the international community by demonstrating corruption will not be tolerated.
ReplyDeleteI found this extremely interesting, before this post I really didn't have much knowledge on the story at all besides short snippets in the news. I think it is really interesting to see something of this nature come to light and actually take such a spotlight in a country where this is usually not the case. I don't know much about Chinese politics but I am interested in seeing if this one change in behavior leads to any others or if it was, as some are saying, a show of sorts.
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