The trial of Bo Xilai, the “princeling” and erstwhile Chongqing party secretary, was meant to end a spectacle that has transfixed the Chinese public for months. Instead, it looks more like the opening act. Ever since Wang Lijun, Mr Bo’s chief of police, fled to the US consulate in Chengdu in February 2012 to expose an elaborate tale of murder and corruption, the Chinese public has been treated to a unique glimpse into the way their country is run. By trying Mr Bo and by allowing details of his many transgressions to drip out, the Communist party hopes to demonstrate its adherence to the rule of law. A rotten element has been flushed out. The party will not balk at justice even if that means devouring one of its own.
對薄熙來這名“太子黨”和重慶前市委書記的審訊，本來意在結束好幾個月來一直吸引中國公眾注意力的一出戲。可到頭來，這場庭審看上去更像是一場大戲的序幕。自薄熙來手下的公安局長王立軍在2012年2月逃入美國駐成都總領事館、曝光一個以謀殺和腐敗為主線的錯綜復雜的故事以來，中國公眾難得地窺見了自己國家的運行方式。中共將薄熙來送上法庭，讓他的很多不當行為的細節泄露出來，是希望展現黨對法治的堅持。一個腐敗分子被清除出去。黨不會在司法正義面前卻步，即便這意味著一個高層黨員的身敗名裂。