| Wang Lijun incident | |||||||
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 The US consulate in Chengdu | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 王立军事件 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 王立軍事件 | ||||||
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The Wang Lijun incident was a major Chinese political scandal which began in February 2012 when Wang Lijun, vice-mayor of Chongqing, was abruptly demoted, after revealing to the United States consulate details of British businessman Neil Heywood's murder and subsequent cover-up.[1] Amidst rumors of political infighting with Chongqing Communist Party secretary Bo Xilai, Wang arranged a meeting on 6 February at the US consulate in Chengdu, where he remained for over 30 hours.[1] Observers speculated that Wang may have been attempting to defect or to seek refuge from Bo. He then left the consulate of his own volition and was taken to Beijing by agents and the vice minister Qiu Jin (邱进) of the Ministry of State Security. The Chongqing municipal government declared that Wang was receiving "vacation-style medical treatment".
The scandal led to the abrupt end to the political career of Bo Xilai, who was seen as a top contender for a top leadership position at the 18th Party Congress in 2012. In the scandal's aftermath, Bo was dismissed from his position of Chongqing party chief, removed from the Politburo, and eventually charged with corruption and abuse of power. The scandal dealt a significant blow to the credibility of the "Chongqing model" and the "Red culture movement" promoted by Bo.[2]
- ^ a b Lafraniere, Sharon (10 April 2012). "Death of a Briton Is Thrust to Center of China Scandal". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- ^ Goodspeed, Peter (10 February 2012). "Chinese politician Wang Lijun mysteriously disappears amid rumours he tried to defect". National Post. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.