China Debates Effect of Trial’s Rare Transparency

The melodramatic trial of Bo Xilai, the former elite Communist Party official, has been trumpeted by the state news media here as a sure sign that Chinese citizens enjoy the benefits of a robust legal system. Most Chinese saw headlines like this one on the Web site of People’s Daily, the party mouthpiece: “Prosecutors: Bo Xilai Pleads Not Guilty, so He Must Be Strictly Punished.” Read more