Bo and his Wife - Irreconcilable Differences

Child of a Lesser God

The global media has lit up with the announcement of Bo Xilai’s trial on Thursday, August 22. By all accounts, it will be a quick, pre-ordained proceeding, with the charges already set to fit the amount of filth that the Chinese government is willing to launder in public. Bo himself has been part of the damage control maneuverings, since there is an element of MADness, or “mutually assured destruction”, between him and other Chinese political leaders.

 

This Wall Street Journal article offers an interesting twist to the story – that his already convicted wife (she of the poisoned chalice that killed Neil Heywood) may be a key witness against him. Angered, Bo has threatened to divorce her. However, she likely has more powerful motivations than keeping up the charade of a once blissful matrimonial union with Bo. Like any good mother, she may be cooperating in order to ensure protection for her (and Bo’s) son, who is studying law at Columbia University in the fall. There is the old supposition that the rich are different from the rest of society. If this trial proves anything, it may be that this rule holds true amongst the elite in China. It’s just a shame that this spectacle, which would be fodder for juicy tabloid drama in an open society, will probably play out like a rock concert heard through ear muffs.