By Liu Liu & Benjamin Ho Tze Ern
The high-profile escape of Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng last week from house arrest has sparked renewed speculation over the stability of China’s domestic political situation. The question now is whether despite the fact that Wang Lijun and then Chen deciding to seek U.S. assistance caused considerable embarrassment to the Chinese Communist Party’s much-vaunted unity, these incidents will have provided Beijing with the opportunity to publicly enforce its stand on factional struggles, thus paving the way for longer-term unity under a new leadership later this year.
It’s also not inconceivable that the Bo Xilai affair could increase expectations for the party to expedite political reforms. And while this may not always be perceived positively by individual party members, it has nonetheless made clear the need for change at a higher level. Still, all this may also heighten party tensions, particularly in the short-term, over how the leadership transition ought to take place.
Read the full story at The Diplomat