Myanmar-China

Demise of Bo Xilai paves way for China’s most powerful woman

Liu Yandong’s progress in the CPC hierarchy shows that one can expect to grow big only when one is a member of the red aristocracy and is well connected and networked. Ordinary workers have no place to go, notwithstanding the lofty ideals of the Communist party and its claim that Communism stands for egalitarian society

Bo Xilai’s loss is Liu Yandong’s gain. This is the verdict of China watchers and western commentators. It is very difficult to dispute their prognosis in the face of what a British daily terms as her impeccable pedigree and also her likely induction into the all-powerful nine-member Politburo Standing Committee as the first woman to achieve that honour.

Her progress in the CPC hierarchy however shows that one can expect to grow big only when one is a member of the red aristocracy and is well connected and networked. Ordinary workers have no place to go, notwithstanding the lofty ideals of the Communist party and its claim that Communism stands for egalitarian society where every one is at equal advantage or disadvantage.  Any how, what is practiced in Communist China is not Communism. It is Bamboo Capitalism where cronyism and corruption are rampant as the Bo Xilai’s life story itself testifies.

The former Chongqing boss has fallen from grace in March after a very successful long run as he cashed in the credentials provided by his father as one of the founders of Chinese Communist party.  Bo’s father stood first beside Chairman Mao and then Deng Xiaoping, as one of the party’s elders. He (62) and his second wife, Gu Kailai (54), a beautiful looking lawyer were hailed as the golden couple even as he appeared set on course to becoming one day China’s paramount leader.  Gu is also the part of the Communist elite. Her father was Gu Jingsheng, a famous general in the People’s Liberation Army. Both Bo and Gu studied at the prestigious Peking university.

Bo’s feet of clay were exposed not because he was careless but by sheer accident. Suspension from the politburo and Central Committee culminated in the couple vanishing from public scene from mid-March. Bo’s fall is Chinese Communist Party’s biggest public upheaval since a purge before the 1989 Tiananmen Square.

Liu Yandong, the rising star, knows almost all the top leaders since her father, Liu Ruilong, was Agriculture vice-minister in the early years of China’s tryst with Maoist Communism.  Her work at various levels of the CPC also helped her build bridges with the leaders who matter.  This is the reason why a commentator said: ‘She has ties to most top leaders, either through her family or through her career’.

The list reads like who is who of CPC. And includes President Hu Jintao, former President Jiang Zemin, the president ‘in waiting’ Xi Jinping, and Zeng Qinghong, a prominent second generation leader. Her father Liu Ruilong inducted Jiang’s foster father into the Communist Youth League in 1925. ‘This makes her very close to Jiang and it is a close bond’, according to UK daily, The Daily Telegraph. Her husband, Yuanxing is also a princeling who is said to be distantly related to China’s most famous modern author, Lu Xun. Like many Chinese princelings, the couple has family ties overseas, especially in the United States.

Liu and Hu Jintao both graduated from Tsinghua University and she worked with him in the Communist Youth League. She and Xi Jinping studied the same subject at Tsinghua. Her ties with Zeng Qinghong are something special. She grew up in his mother’s nursery. Her image is of a ‘quietly efficient’, ‘modest’ and’ prudent’, leader.  Hong Kong media nicknamed her the ‘Beautiful’ minister. After handling economy and education she is looking after China’s scientific and cultural sectors, as one of the five heads of the State Council.

Consider her career graph  

Liu joined the CPC at the age of 19.  She studied political science at Jilin University and engineering at Tsinghua University.  She worked as the hands on manager at the Kaiping Chemical plant in Tangshan and at an experimental chemical plant in Beijing.

Taking politics full time in the eighties she worked first with All Women Federation, and later with the United Front Work Department. This department is a fairly important set up as it looks after non-Communist party elite and overseas Chinese and handles issues related to Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

Professor David Greenaway, the vice-chancellor of Nottingham university, is quoted as her describing her as the most powerful woman in China, a mentally tough lady.  The professor, who discussed once with her global financial crisis for 40 minutes, believes that she played a role in putting in the Chinese stimulus package. “I think she certainly had a role in designing China’s stimulus project in the wake of the crisis”.

Now about the man into whose shoes Liu Yandong is said to be stepping. He and his wife are facing music over a British businessman, Neil Heywood (41) who was found dead in a hotel in Chongqing in November last year.

‘Heywood’s death was a serious criminal case and that Bo Xilai’s actions have seriously violated the party’s discipline, caused damage to the party and to the country, and harmed the image of the party and the country’ , People’s Daily reported. It termed as correct decision to the ordering of investigation into Bo Xilai, who used to boast of being ‘above the law’. His wife is charged with killing Heywood owing to conflict over economic interests, and has been arrested. An orderly at Bo’s house, Zhang Xiaojun, was also arrested.

Bo and Heywood had business tie up since the 90s, when Bo was the mayor of Dalian. The Britisher’s main business line was import of luxury cars for China’s nauverich.

The story of Bo and of Liu shatters a myth cultivated by China and spread across the third world in particular that successors of Chairman Mao in China lead a modest life. Both Bio and Liu were born with silver spoon, and were brought up in aristocratic life style- a life which is far removed from workers and peasants.

-m. rama rao

 

Sharing:

Your comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *