The Economist: “AS REPORTERS gathered in Jinan, the capital of the coastal province of Shandong, none (except perhaps the 19 Chinese journalists who were allowed into the courtroom, presumably because of their organisations’ unquestioning obedience to the Communist Party) had any idea how the authorities would choreograph China’s most sensational trial in decades. Still less did they know how the accused, Bo Xilai, a former member of the Politburo, would play along.
Two other trials related to Mr Bo’s case, that of his wife Gu Kailai and of his one-time police chief, Wang Lijun, suggested that the authorities would reveal only bare details of the proceedings. Those trials were conducted a year ago, before a new leadership came to power in November. Mr Bo’s case was a legacy of the outgoing regime that the incoming party chief, Xi Jinping, would rather not have inherited. But rather than follow the usual secretive pattern Mr Xi (for surely he made the decision) has allowed the court in Jinan to release lengthy transcripts of the hearings. Instead of showing a browbeaten rival meekly accepting allegations of corruption and abuse of power, the transcripts revealed Mr Bo in typical feisty form (see them here, in Chinese).”
via Bo Xilai’s trial: Straying from the script | The Economist.
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