China's Communist Party moved to show unity after suspending Bo Xilai from the ruling Politburo and declaring his wife a murder suspect by ordering the nation's more than 80 million party members to back the decision.
China's central television station read the charges against Gu Kailai, Bo's wife, every hour on the hour, detailing how she had been arrested on suspicion of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood in Chongqing. A commentary on the front page of today's People's Daily, the party's mouthpiece, urged cadres to "firmly support the correct decision" to investigate Mr Bo.
"The death of Neil Heywood is a serious criminal case involving the family and close staff of a Party and state leader," the commentary said. "Bo has seriously violated the Party discipline, causing damage to the cause and the image of the Party and state."
British prime minister David Cameron today welcomed China's investigation into the death. "We did ask the Chinese to hold an investigation and we are pleased they are now doing that and I stand ready to co-operate in any way we can," Mr Cameron said, speaking to reporters in Indonesia.
"It's very important we get to the bottom of what happened in this very disturbing case," he added.
Mr Bo's downfall, which comes as China prepares for a once-in- a-decade leadership change this year, is the biggest political upheaval in the country's top ranks since Communist Party general secretary Zhao Ziyang was purged in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen protests.
Removal from the Politburo and Central Committee, which would come at a formal party meeting, is often a precursor to prison or detention.
The People's Daily commentary said the decision to suspend Mr Bo "highlights the Party and the government's apparent attitude of firmly maintaining discipline and laws" that will "certainly get the wholehearted support from the whole party and all of the nation's people." P
Party newspapers across the country, including Chongqing, where Bo served as the top official until last month, reprinted the commentary.
Gu Kailai and a personal attendant are "highly suspected" of killing British businessman Neil Heywood, who died in Chongqing in November, the official Xinhua News Agency reported late yesterday. Britain was originally told that Mr Heywood died of alcohol poisoning.
Bo's wife and the attendant, Zhang Xiaojun, "have been transferred to judicial authorities on suspected crime of intentional homicide," Xinhua said yesterday.
Mr Bo has been suspended from his party posts and is "suspected of being involved in serious discipline violations," Xinhua said in a separate report.
Bloomberg