Ousted politician Bo Xilai lost his appeal against a life sentence for corruption in his final public appearance Friday before prison — an inglorious end for the once-rising star whose vaulting ambition unnerved China's leadership.
The former Politburo member had fallen from power in a scandal that became a volatile distraction for the Communist Party, unleashing tales of murder and betrayal in the highest ranks. On Friday, two security guards with hands on his shoulders escorted him out of the courtroom — and off the political stage — ahead of a key leadership meeting next month on economic policy.
The Shandong Provincial Higher People's Court decision to uphold Bo's conviction and life sentence for corruption and abuse of power came as no surprise. Many political analysts believe Bo's fate has been predetermined by party leaders keen to put him away long enough to prevent him from making a comeback.
However, hints of the charismatic populist's legacy remain in the party's renewed emphasis on connecting with the people.
Bo, a former Politburo member and party boss in Chongqing, was convicted last month of embezzlement, bribery and abuse of power, and sentenced to life in prison. State broadcaster CCTV showed Bo in court wearing a black jacket over a white shirt, faintly smiling as he stood flanked by two tall uniformed guards, his un-cuffed hands clasped in front of him.
The court said Bo's offenses "led to extremely severe social consequences and caused major damage to the interest of the country and the people," according to the ruling, posted on the court's website. Bo is expected to serve his term at Qincheng Prison, north of Beijing, which houses offenders from the political elite and is plush by Chinese prison standards.
The conclusion of Bo's case bolts the door on a vexing scandal for the party leadership that included embarrassing revelations that Bo's wife murdered a British businessman and that his former aide made a failed attempt to defect to the United States.
It also enables Chinese President Xi Jinping to further unify party leaders who may have been divided over how Bo's fate should be handled and to steer public focus toward the initiatives of the team he leads. Topping the agenda are a meeting of party leaders in November to draw up a blueprint for economic development and an anti-corruption effort that has been the hallmark campaign of Xi's leadership so far.
"Xi Jinping is anxious to put together at least a semblance of unity among the different factions," said Willy Lam, an expert on Communist Party politics at Chinese University in Hong Kong. "He wants to shift the attention of the public and the Western media from something negative to something more positive."
Still unresolved are questions about who should be held responsible for the abuses of his administration in the city of Chongqing — which were conspicuously ignored during Bo's trial.
As party boss, Bo led a crackdown on what he called mafia activities but that critics say was in part an excuse to arrest wealthy private entrepreneurs, torture them into confessing to crimes then jail them after summary trials and seize their assets. Even a prominent lawyer who sought to defend a businessman was put in jail.
