The Case That Shook China's Communist Party

The once-obscure Chinese businessman Bo Xilai, who ran the southwestern municipality of Chongqing with an iron fist and an eye for publicity, quickly gained national prominence for his populist approach and his revival of revolutionary-era songs. However, his political star abruptly fell when his wife Gu Kailai was implicated in the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood, leading to sensational and scandalous revelations that exposed corruption and power struggles, and shook the ruling Communist Party to its core. The high-profile case ignited a national conversation about justice, power, and privilege, and became a defining moment in recent Chinese history.