Demotion of Wang Lijun
Reports indicate that Wang came under scrutiny by the Communist Party’s Commission for Discipline Inspection for his possible involvement in the Tieling corruption case.
On 2 February 2012, Wang was abruptly reassigned "to a post overseeing municipal education, science, and environmental affairs", regarded as a less prestigious post than his former public security office.[7]
Although details are sparse, observers believe that Wang may have sought leniency with the Inspection Commission in exchange for information on corruption and embezzlement by Bo Xilai and/or his wife. Bo is speculated to have learned about Wang's accusations, and ordered the arrest of several of Wang’s close allies and associates.[8][9]
[edit] Visit to U.S. ConsulateOn 6 February 2012, Wang traveled to the U.S. consulate in Chengdu. Following a meeting with U.S. consular officials, Wang reportedly "left of his own volition."[10][11][12] The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged on 9 February 2012 Wang's visit to the U.S. Consulate, and said that the matter was "under investigation".[13]
The U.S. Department of State did not comment on the content of the meeting, though observers speculated that Wang may have been seeking political asylum, or at a minimum was seeking to extricate himself from the reach of Bo Xilai, who had already allegedly arrested several of Wang's allies.[4] The Department of State refused to comment on speculations that Wang sought to defect to the United States.[14][15]
Overseas Chinese-language websites such as Boxun alleged that Wang brought evidence incriminating Bo Xilai to the meeting at the consulate.[16] Two unnamed U.S. officials said that Bo had brought evidence of corruption to the consulate, some of which incriminated individuals in the highest ranks of the Communist Party, including Bo Xilai.[17]
Seventy carloads of armed police reportedly pursued Wang from Chongqing to Chengdu, and proceeded to surround the consulate while Wang was in the consulate.[4][18] When authorities in Beijing were informed of the encirclement, they demanded the Chongqing security forces withdraw. They then dispatched Qiu Jin, vice minister of the Ministry of State Security, to escort Wang to Beijing on a first-class flight.[18][19] Following his departure from the consulate, Wang was immediately seized by the security agents and taken to Beijing.[20]
On 9 February, several overseas Chinese-language websites posted an open letter allegedly written by Wang.[21] The letter accused Bo Xilai of corruption and harboring criminal connections and called him "the greatest gangster in China," and also complained that Bo treats his subordinates like "chewing gum," i.e., that they are to be disposed of when they wear out. The websites claimed that Wang secretly sent the letter to his overseas friends prior to his unexpected leave, and that he entered the U.S. Consulate in order to ask the latter to hold documents incriminating Bo.[22]
[edit] Medical leaveShortly after Wang's meeting at the U.S. consulate, Chongqing government information offices sought to discredit Wang by stating he was “seriously indisposed due to long term overwork and intense mental stress. Currently he has been authorized to undergo vacation-style medical treatment.”[18][23][24][25] The phrase became a target of derisive mockery on the Chinese internet, as microblogs seized on the opportunity to make an internet meme out of the phrase "vacation-style treatment," as a plethora of parodies surfaced. One post read: "Let's continue: Consoling-style rape, harmony-style looting, environmental-style murder, scientific-style theft."[26]
[edit] AftermathAs the chain of events unfolded Chinese government censors began blocking keywords on an ad hoc basis, such as "U.S. Consulate", "political asylum", "Governor Bo" etc. Many of the keywords were unblocked and re-blocked intermittently. "Wang Lijun" was blocked on 4 February, but was unblocked four days later. Microblogs were inundated with references to the Wang story with no significant interference from censors. The mixed reactions from the authorities led to speculation that the government was unsure about how to deal with the events, or that they were letting word spread deliberately to weaken Bo's political base.[27]
In the aftermath of the event, political commentators noted Wang’s actions may imperil Bo Xilai’s further political advancement. China analyst Willy Wo-Lap Lam commented that the Wang Lijun incident may doom Bo's chances of further advancement to the Politburo Standing Committee: “When they do the horse- trading in Beijing, his enemies will definitely use this to shoot down his candidacy,” said Lam.[28]
Han Deqiang of the neo-leftistUtopia website called it "a serious blow to the Chongqing Model" promoted by Bo.[26] Gao Wenqian, senior analyst with Human Rights in China, wrote that the event served to discredit the “core socialist values” promoted by Bo Xilai through the "red culture movement" in Chongqing. "Its repercussion is comparable to that of the Lin Biao Incident in the late 1970s, which led to the demise of the Cultural Revolution and the mythology surrounding Mao Zedong," wrote Gao作者: 嘛咪嘛咪轰 时间: 2012-3-4 22:00
