The spectacular trial of Bo Xilai seized the media’s attention last week as the fallen politburo member—still widely admired in Chongqing and Dalian and heavily connected among the Party elite—defended himself with unexpected vigor against charges of corruption, and hardly pausing to implicate his wife and subordinates in murder, mutual poisoning, and financial skullduggery.
This week on Sinica, Kaiser and Jeremy host two guests: Ed Wong from The New York Times and James Miles of The Economist for a closer look at what some Chinese commentators are calling China’s “trial of the century.” Join us for an in-depth discussion of the trial which looks not only at what this means for media transparency in China, but also extends to historical comparisons with previous political purges, including the famous case against Jiang Qing and the Gang of Four following the Cultural Revolution.