Friday 13 May 2016

China Q&A: The Trial of Ling Jihua

     Ling Jihua is no ordinary person in Chinese politics for he was the top aide of the former Chinese President Hu Jintao [2002-2012]. He held a string of important appointments, but the most important was as head of the office of the Chinese President and thus privy to all Chinese state secrets.
* Ling's downfall started when his 23 year old son Ling Gu crashed his Ferrari 458 Spider into Beijing's 4th Ring Road on 18 March 2012 killing himself and one of his two female companions.
* Guardian [13 May 16] quotes NYT to say that Ling Jihua coldly denied that this was his son when he visited the mortuary to identify the body.
* SCMP reports that millions were taken from China's largest oil company and paid to the relatives of the two girls found in the car crash to "hush-up" the matter.
* Xinhua [13 May 16] announced that Ling Jihua would be tries at Tianjin City for " soliciting bribes, seeking favors and illegally obtaining state secrets'. Xinhua says the latter "has inflicted serious damage to the interests of the country and the people".
* Ling Jihua's brother Ling Wancheng defected to the US where he lives in a palatial residence in California.
* FT [4 February 16] reports that Ling Wancheng is no ordinary defector. He reportedly carried with him "procedures for launching nuclear weapons, details of personal lives of Chinese leaders and arrangements for their security and protection".
* FT further says that the Chinese have sent several missions to the US to try and secure Ling Wancheng's return, but to no avail. The US authorities consider him a 'most valuable' source.
   

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