The downfall of the former right-hand man of the maverick Chongqing Communist Party boss Bo Xilai looks likely to deal a heavy blow to Bo's hopes in the top-level reshuffle this autumn and has cast further uncertainties over the possible leadership line-up, political analysts said yesterday.
The former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun, who made his name as a triad-buster in Bo's crusade against organised crime, was detained by the party's top disciplinary body yesterday, reportedly after an attempt to flee to the US consulate in Chengdu .
There was intense speculation yesterday about Wang's whereabouts and the political manoeuvring behind his disappearance from public view.
Political observers were also intrigued by the sensitive timing of the detention, pointing to its uncanny resemblance to the fall of the former Shanghai mayor Chen Liangyu six years ago, in the lead-up to the previous party congress.
Chen's fall from grace, as a result of his involvement in the corruption case of a Shanghai tycoon, was widely seen as having reshaped the political landscape on the mainland, tipping the balance of power in a struggle between factions loyal to President Hu Jintao and his predecessor Jiang Zemin .
Like the removal of Chen in 2006, Wang's detention will have political ramifications and looks set to usher in a period of intense jockeying for position and power in the run-up to the next leadership transition at the party congress later this year.
Analysts said that if confirmed, rumours that Wang, 52, had attempted to turn Bo, 63, in to the top disciplinary watchdog would be devastating news for Bo, the son of a party elder, and a top contender for a seat on the Politburo Standing Committee.