China turns fall of Bo into a success story for party

China has used the case of fallen politician Bo Xilai as a triumphant example of the Communist Party’s effort to rein in rampant corruption that threatens its hold on power.

The party’s top official for discipline, He Guoqiang, gave a speech yesterday in which he cited the investigation into Bo as one of the recent successes of the party’s efforts to uncover “major disciplinary violations”.

Bo was one of China’s best-known politicians until he fell from grace earlier this year, when a close aide disclosed that Bo’s wife had murdered British businessman Neil Heywood.

“We should keep a strong momentum in our fight against corruption,” Mr He told a meeting of the anti-corruption co-ordination team of the party’s Central Committee. “The corrupt elements … will be resolutely dealt with without mercy.”