Bo Xilai’s elder brother Bo Xiyong appears publicly in Beijing

High-profile commemoration

During the Chinese Communist Party’s commemoration of the 110th anniversary of revolutionary elder Chen Yun’s birth, the CPC Central Committee held an event in the Great Hall of the People and Xi Jinping gave a commemoration speech. CCTV also broadcast the documentary film “Chen Yun’s Story.” However, the highlight of these activities was Bo Xilai’s elder brother Bo Xiyong publicly appearing on CCTV along with other “Second Generation Red [Princelings].”

Chen Yun’s granddaughter Chen Xiaodan publicly praised Xi’s anti-corruption efforts. It was previously reported that she was in a romantic relationship with Bo Xilai’s son Bo Guagua.

Under Chinese law, if a criminal sentenced to life imprisonment behaves well, their sentence can be reduced or the prisoner can be released on bail for medical treatment. Analysts say that “second generation Red” Bo Xilai has a chance of survival, but Zhou Yongkang will certainly die in prison.

Beijing specifically incarcerates political prisoners and corrupt officials in the suburban Beijing Qincheng Prison. Netizens have dubbed the drama “Kangxi Arrives” (this is a play on the Qing emperor Kang Xi and Bo Xilai sharing the unusual character “Xi” in their names).

Inconsistencies

Zhou Yongkang, after undergoing a closed trial, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Tianjin Number One Intermediate People’s Court. But this case continues to give rise to discussion.

During the “two meetings” in Beijing (annual plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee) in March, the Supreme Court Chief Justice Zhou Qiang publicly stated that Zhou Yongkang’s case would be an open trial according to the law. But in the end it was a closed trial. These inconsistencies have raised even more questions. If the words of the chief justice of the supreme court can’t be relied upon, the people can’t be blamed for questioning whether the Communist Party is above the law.

Regarding the lack of an open trial, the official explanation is that Zhou Yongkang leaked four top-secret documents and one classified document to his personal spiritual master. For this violation he was sentenced to four years imprisonment by the Tianjin Intermediate People’s Court. But independent Beijing-based reporter Gao Yu, accused of leaking material related to the Communist Party’s so-called “Seven Don’t Speaks” ideology material, was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. This causes people to question whether China’s administration of justice is fair and impartial.

Internal circulars

Earlier hearsay of “Seven Deadly Sins [Crimes]” by Zhou Yongkang finally turned into only three convictions: bribery, abuse of power and the leaking of secrets. There was no mention of Zhou’s oft-cited plotting of a coup against Xi Jinping.

Radio France Internationale reported that the Communist Party on Friday June 12, 2015 issued a notification on “Communist Party Central Committee’s Lessons on the Zhou Yongkang criminal case” to county and office level officials. The circular talked about Zhou Yongkang’s plan to participate in “unorganized” political activities; his dangerous personal ambitions; his effort to change Party resolutions; and maintaining improper relationships with a number of women.

People’s Daily published a commentators’ article entitled “No person can wear the ‘Iron Emperor’s Cap’.” It says that in the face of Communist Party discipline no member is special and no citizen is exempt from the nation’s laws. This statement is being interpreted by overseas media as indicating that in the ongoing anti-corruption campaign the next corrupt official may be even higher-placed than Zhou Yongkang.(Boxun translation)