A Secret Kept by Ten Million People

Political outsiders are often amazed at how well the Communists Party manages to keep secrets. For example, Lin Biao was the No. 2 in the Party hierarchy when he fled the country and crashed in Mongolia in 1971. In the next two months, the great majority of Chinese still saw Lin as a top leader, and the official successor to Chair Mao Zedong, while the Party gradually rolled out the secret layer by layer in a top-down manner.

Now, two months after Wang Lijun, the then deputy mayor and former police chief, walked into the US Consulate in Chengdu, it seems the Party had been rolling out the information in an exact same manner. Many reported on the weibo that county-level officials, there are millions of them in China, were called out for close door meetings at night to be informed of the incident.

In a sense, it seems the party officials were still living in the era of 40 years ago, as some Netizens lamented on weibo. But what is truly amazing is that it seems the great majority of Chinese, party members or not, are still living in the era of 40 years ago, too. They are really good in keeping a secret, when they are told so by the Party.

Connecting Dots

Wang Lijun's whereabouts between Monday 2/6/2012 and Wednesday 2/8/2012 might never be confirmed by either Chinese or American government. We may never know what happened inside the US Chengdu General Consulate. Having that said, below is one most plausible plot:

In the months leading to the final show down, Wang should have already sensed Bo's malice. Because of Bo's absolute power in Chongqing, as well as his political clot in the nation, Wang has no chance at all to fight back. Judging from Bo's track record, it was logical for Wang to believe Bo would harm him and very possibly his families and friends. Therefore, it amounted to a duty and obligation for Wang to strike back.

The US consulate is picked perhaps because it is the only place in the southeastern China where Wang can have a direct and uninterrupted communication with central government in Beijing. Wang was under tight monitoring long before he had been stripped off Police Chief duty. He was not allowed to travel. If he try to flee on foot, he might be immediately arrested, or quietly killed as a fugitive.

Wang jumped on an opportunity when he was arranged to inspect a local university as a stage-show to tell the public everything had been normal. He fled in disguise and drove an unmarked car to the capital city Chengdu of neighboring Sichuan Province, where he scheduled a meeting with the US consulate. The Consulate arranged him to sneak in the US General Consulate in Chengdu. However, Wang was identified by a security agent working for the central government.

What happened in the next 24 hours was not clear. Wang might left some important evidence to prove Bo's involvement in crimes. Wang might discusses refuge or asylum status issue with US officials. Wang might spoke to some senior officials in Beijing. Wang might had a talk with his boos Bo.

In the end, outside the consulate there was an armed stand-off between paramilitary troops equipped with heavy equipment from Chongqing and local police who are reinforced by security forces belonged to central government. Bo tried to take Wang back to Chongqing by force, but was pushed back by Beijing.

The US General Consular was not in the consulate at the time on Tuesday night. He went out for unknown reason but could not come back because of road blocks and a man-made traffic jam. Wang received a call from a commander outside the consulate. Wang was told if he did not walk out, then police would break in using the excuse that there might be a bomb inside the building. Wang contacted the General Consular again, and was told he did not know when could he get back to the consulate. Wang decided to walk out. Spokesperson of the US State Department said Wang walked out in his own volition. She also stated there was no threat to the Chengdu Consulate, and US did not request increased security to the consulate.

While Wang walked out, he shouted to police surrounded the building that he had collected evidence of crimes committed by Bo Xilai. Bo was taken by the security forced loyal to the central government, and flown to Beijing within hours.

Now that it had become an international incident. The central government will have legitimate excuse as well as a procedural obligation to launch an investigation against Wang's charges against Bo. It is revealed that a high level delegate had stationed the Jinniu (Golden Bull) Hotel in Chengdu since the incident, and that there was no sign they were leaving anytime soon.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand of Words

Because of online censorship, the above emoticon posted on the micro-blog Weibo run by Sina told a following fictional story:

Last night, an individual walked in the US Consulate in Chengdu of Sichuan Province seeking refuge protection. The Consulate was subsequently surrounded by troops enforced with over 70 APCs from neighboring Chongqing, a province-level Metropolitan, led by the Mayor of Chongqing Mr. Hong Qifan. More local police and central government security forces rushed to the scene. After negotiations, the US Consulate released the man. There was an armed standoff between paramilitary forces from Chongqing and security forces loyal to Beijing. In the end, the person was taken by security forces from the central government and flew to Beijing via Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.

Rumor has it that the man in the above story is Mr. Wang Lijun. Wang was released from the position of Police Chief of Chongqing a few days ago. Wang had been credited for his heavy hand measures in cracking down organized crimes, but was also criticized for human rights abuse in the process.

The portrait to the far right was an official picture of Wang in his new assignment, the deputy Mayor of Chongqing in charge of education. It was discovered by the online community that the picture was a Photoshop job of a dated portrait of Wang (left) when he was the police chief. A suit was laid on top of his uniform, and a pair of glasses was added to fit his new role.

Rumor has it that Wang had been placed under tight control for an unknown period. Up to 11 deputies and aides of Wang had been arrested by the Chongqing Governor Bo Xilai. The new post of Deputy Mayor was only a cover for investigation before Wang would be formally prosecuted. Wang already lost freedom, and was in no position to shoot another 'official' photo. The propaganda department had to Photoshop a new 'official portrait' to make people believe it was yet another normal day. Wang jumped on the opportunity, when Bo ordered Deputy Mayor Wang to inspect a local university as a staged show of harmony, to disguise as another person and flee to neighboring Sichuan Province.

Wang Lijun had been acting as Bo's henchman in Bo's bid for higher power, but also became a political burden. It is said that Bo, sensing dangerous, decided to get rid of Wang.

Bo Xilai, the Chongqing Governor, is known for his Great Revolution style approach, which was a outlier today, even in communist China. Wang's defection is seen as a major setback for Bo's ambition for a higher post in the upcoming Party's National Conference. The 18th CCP National Conference which is expected to be held later this year will decide the Politburo, government and cabinet for the next 10 years.

Today, the office of the Chongqing Government released a brief micro-blog regarding the incident. In a literal translation, it said Wang was placed under a 'vacation-style therapy', a phrase troubled reporters from BBC and CNN alike, trying to figure out an accurate translation. After all, there was no such phrase in Chinese, never before.