A friend sent me a report from wantchinatimes.com, a news organisation based in Taiwan. It manages the impossible by introducing even more murk and mystery into the Bo Xilai affair whilst simultaneously providing some excellent background information.
Comrade Bo, the now disgraced former head of the Party in Chongquing, was the son of an 'Immortal', that is, the son of a man who soldiered with Mao and took part in the famous 'Long March'. Needless to say, he was rewarded by Mao with imprisonment and disgrace. Eventually his son, Bo Xilai, wormed his way back into favour. In this, he was aided by marriage to the daughter of an appatchik family called Li Danyu.
As you can see, he probably did not marry her for her looks! However, the connection to a 'distinguished' family with connections in the Party hierarchy gave Bo Xilai the safe base he needed to grease his way up the Party pole. Again, with all the inevitability of a play by Shakespeare, no sooner had begun to achieve a status and power base of his own, to use the crude but neat Americanism, he 'ditched the bitch' and married Gu Kalai, and quite apart from her connections as the daughter of a senior general you can see the attraction:
Well, so far, so normal, but alas for poor old Bo Xilai, the ex-Mrs Bo was not one to let bygones be bygones. Just the opposite, she mounted a sustained and fierce campaign against her former husband using all her connections to smear his reputation as he rose further up the Party ladder:
Bo Xilai's first wife has continued to be a thorn in his side throughout his career. Over the last ten years she has sent numerous letters of petition, following him wherever he went and telling everyone about his adulterous behavior. One insider described Li Danyu as a bomb that has been tracking Bo Xilai for over ten years.
This year, Bo Xilai was on the threshold of being offered a top job at the 18th Party Congress in which major leadershiop changes are expected. His first wife's constant denigration was of such a nature that he had his own son by her arrested as a means of blackmailing her into silence. Very shortly thereafter, his Chief of Police tried to defect, first to the British, then to the Americans. Now, of course, Bo Xilai and his second wife are under arrest. The mystery death of the Englishman, Neil Heywood, remains unsolved.
I am almost tempted to paraphrase one of my favourite sayings - only in China! But of course, this sort of tale is as old as Mankind. The ancient Greek tragedians would be familiar with the outlines. My only wish and hope is that amongst the zillions of Chinese citizens there is an oriental Shakespeare quietly scribbling the outlines of a new play. I stress the word 'play' because Chinese opera is a cacophonous racket fit only for masochists to listen to. If I have any Chinese readers, I apologise, of course, but . . .
I'll be certain the send a link David, to one of our own who, lectures on History to our good Freddie and Fannie - currently greasing his own pole.
Yep Newt, there's a lesson here.
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 21 April 2012 at 17:34
Of course, Newt is a serial wifeist. Mind you, so is the Great Newt of London.
Posted by: dearieme | Saturday, 21 April 2012 at 19:54
My houseboy is Chinese and would take umbrage if I explained your disparaging remarks to him but I don't want to confuse him right now.
He's doing a remarkable job in, ah, rehabilating my poor broken body.
Posted by: Andra | Sunday, 22 April 2012 at 08:46
Heh! The Chinese get all the luck!
And I wasn't being disparaging. I admire the Chinese - although I am aware that given the huge differences in characteristics between the various provinces of China that is a fairly meaningless expression.
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 22 April 2012 at 09:38
Yeah, well, actually my Chinese houseboy is less Chinese than I am.
His family came to Australia in 1880 and, as they say, made good.
Posted by: Andra | Monday, 23 April 2012 at 00:28