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Rumors about Bo Xilai incident ungrounded

Rumors about Bo Xilai incident ungrounded

Updated: 2012-04-29 22:34

(Xinhua)

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BEIJING - Wiretaps, political struggles and so-called "exclusive tip-offs" regarding the Bo Xilai incident have been reported by some foreign media in recent days.

However, people who know a little bit about China's actual conditions may find these reports quite absurd.

Generally speaking, the tip-offs in the foreign reports have something in common. They lack exact sources of information, make groundless speculations and feature critical remarks about China's political situation.

In fact, those reports made by some foreign media have been circulated long ago on some websites sponsored by the evil cult that the people despise. Isn't it a startling anecdote in international press history that rumors from cult-run websites appear in traditional media?

The truth is, as the Chinese authorities said on April 10, that the evidence uncovered so far in the investigation of the death of British national Neil Heywood indicates that he died of homicide. Bogu Kailai, wife of former Chongqing Party chief Bo Xilai, and Zhang Xiaojun, an orderly at Bo's home, are suspects in the case. Both have been transferred to judicial authorities over suspected intentional murder.

After Heywood's death and the Wang Lijun incident, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee suspended Bo's membership in the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and the CPC Central Committee, as he is suspected of being involved in serious discipline violations.

The case should not be interpreted as a political struggle.

The incidents are being handled under law and Party discipline. With no proper sources and a lack of knowledge regarding China's actual conditions, some foreign media bodies have failed to respect the facts and ignored their social responsibility by making groundless comments and misleading the public.

This is not the first time for foreign media to circulate rumors about China, only to find that their statements were unfounded. This time around, they will once again lose their accountability.

But the question is: why are they still doing this?

For one thing, most of them are still trying to turn a profit. Many media organizations have suffered from the global economic downturn and the impact of the Internet.

Consequently, some media organizations have turned to gimmicks to attract readers and maximize their profits. China has become a common target for speculation, as demand for news about China has risen in foreign countries in recent years.

For another thing, foreign media bodies often lack a basic understanding of China's actual conditions. Some have used incorrect theoretical models and statistics to conclude that China's economy will collapse in the near future, and it appears that they are using a similar attitude in appraising China's politics.

Their opinion of the current situation remains tied to Cold War-era beliefs, with preoccupations, biases and hostility toward China. Therefore, they have interpreted China's decision on the Bo Xilai incident as a political struggle, when in fact, the country has made the decision  in line with the rule of law and Party discipline.

There are some in the West who are uneasy about China's development. They may wish to slander or destabilize China, hoping to see the country collapse as the former Soviet Union did instead of watching it become a democratic, modernized socialist nation.

Criminal case has nothing to do with political struggles. Foreign media entities that have disseminated rumors will have to face the music when the truth comes out.

China's development will not be interrupted by individual incidents and the country's overall situation will not be intentionally disturbed.

China's clear targets for development, major policies and socialist system with Chinese characteristics allow all of its people to unite as one and make it impossible to destabilize the country through individual acts, let alone rumors from foreign media.