China: A Murder Sentencing Foretells Bo Xilai's Fate

A Chinese court in Hefei, Anhui province, gave Gu Kailai a suspended death sentence on Aug. 20. The wife of former Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai, Gu earlier was found guilty of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood in 2011. As is typical with prominent Chinese politicians, the sentence comes with a reprieve, which will reduce Gu's punishment to life in prison or shorter if she commits no other offenses in the next two years.

The sentence is Beijing's attempt to show Chinese and international audiences that its court system is impartial, humane and capable of issuing harsh punishments. More important, the sentence foretells the fate of Bo and other officials, such as former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun, whose visit to the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu began a political scandal that has done more than expose corruption in China. The scandal has exposed the ideological and power struggles that shape contemporary Chinese politics.