Former Chongqing Mayor Bo Xilai seemed destined for the top echelon of Chinese politics until his spectacular fall from grace last month.<br /><br />Bo, the son of famed Communist Party figure Bo Yibo, made his name as leader of the port city of Dalian before taking over the western metropolis of Chongqing.<br /><br />Ably abetted by his lawyer wife Gu Kailai, Bo's four-year spell in charge of Chongqing was marked by his populist policies, a war on organized crime, welfare largesse for the poor and a return to veneration of Mao Zedong and China's revolutionary era.<br /><br />But the Bo fairytale started to unravel a few weeks ago when his crime-fighting police chief Wang Lijun attempted to defect at the US embassy in Chengdu.<br /><br />Wang reportedly decided enough was enough when he discovered Bo's wife was involved in the death of Neil Heywood, a UK business consultant and long term friend of the Bo's, who was found dead in a Chongqing hotel room last year after allegedly falling out with them 'over economic interests.'<br /><br />Bo was suddenly deposed as party leader for Chongqing in March while Gu was arrested last week in connection with Heywood's death. The 'Chongqing model' as Bo once proudly promoted<br />would now appear to be defunct while a propaganda campaign is educating the public of the Bo's various alleged abuses of power.<br /><br />Did Bo get what he deserved?
