Is Corruption Undermining The Power of the Communist Party of China?
Martin McCauley writes: The revelations emerging from the present campaign against the triads, criminal gangs, in the city of Chongqing, in western China, has shocked many in China and abroad. So far over 3,000 hoods have been arrested. It is now clear that the police and judicial authorities have been colluding with the triads for at least two decades. The move against the criminals did not originate in Chongqing but in Beijing. It took the authority of President Hu Jintao to set the ball rolling. In other words, the local Party boss, Bo Xilai, was powerless to act on his own. Local syndicates were so entrenched – with high level patrons – that only the top leader could mobilise the police and legal resources to launch the drive against corruption. The city of 34 million is one of the fastest growing in China and a jewel in the crown of China’s industrialisation. The amount of money involved is astronomical. So far about 1.7 billion yuan ($250 million) has been recovered from 24 leadi
Martin McCauley writes: The revelations emerging from the present campaign against the triads, criminal gangs, in the city of Chongqing, in western China, has shocked many in China and abroad. So far over 3,000 hoods have been arrested. It is now clear that the police and judicial authorities have been colluding with the triads for at least two decades. The move against the criminals did not originate in Chongqing but in Beijing. It took the authority of President Hu Jintao to set the ball rolling. In other words, the local Party boss, Bo Xilai, was powerless to act on his own. Local syndicates were so entrenched – with high level patrons – that only the top leader could mobilise the police and legal resources to launch the drive against corruption. The city of 34 million is one of the fastest growing in China and a jewel in the crown of China’s industrialisation. The amount of money involved is astronomical. So far about 1.7 billion yuan ($250 million) has been recovered from 24 leadi
