薄被告無期判決 共産党政権の危機感の表れだ

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 26, 2013
Chinese court’s ruling on Bo indication of Communist Party’s fears for future
薄被告無期判決　共産党政権の危機感の表れだ（9月25日付・読売社説）

The Chinese court ruling on former senior politician Bo Xilai was politically motivated and placed top priority on stabilizing Chinese Communist Party rule. However, public discontent is simmering and there is uncertainty over the country’s future.
　共産党統治の安定を最優先した政治的な判決だったと言えよう。だが、国民の不満はくすぶり、先行きは不透明だ。

The court handed down a life sentence to Bo, a former Politburo member and Chongqing city party leader, who was charged with taking bribes, embezzlement and abuse of power. It is unusual for a former party leader to receive such a severe sentence.
　収賄、横領、職権乱用罪に問われた中国重慶市党委員会の元トップ、薄煕来・元政治局員に、無期懲役の判決が言い渡された。党指導経験者への異例の厳刑である。

Although China is supposedly ruled by law despite being a one-party state, rulings on important trials are basically decided by the Chinese Communist Party. China has a two-tiered justice system, but it is highly unlikely Bo’s sentence will be overturned, even if he appeals.
　一党独裁体制の中国は、法治主義の建前をとっているものの、重要な裁判の判決は、基本的に党が決定する。２審制だが、薄被告が上訴しても判決は覆るまい。

The administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping decided to sentence Bo to life in prison apparently to show ordinary Chinese that it would never forgive corruption, even if senior party officials are involved. It also must have been intended to condemn Bo’s demagogic style, which could cause the party’s rule to disintegrate.
　習近平政権が無期懲役判決に踏み切ったのは、党要人であっても腐敗は許さないとの決意を国民に示すためだろう。併せて、党の支配を破綻させかねない薄被告の大衆扇動的な手法を断罪する狙いもあったに違いない。

When he was party chief in Chongqing, Bo placed priority on the ideal of equality, which the party must have originally touted, and implemented policies to correct disparities, such as constructing affordable housing for the poor.
　薄被告は重慶在任中、党が本来掲げていたはずの平等の理想を強調し、貧困層向けに安価な住宅を建設するなど格差是正を主眼とする政策を展開した。

Bo aimed to join China’s supreme leadership. He had people sing revolutionary songs from the Mao Zedong era to show how much the people supported him.
　人々に毛沢東時代の革命歌を歌わせ、大衆の支持を誇示して、党の最高指導部入りを目指した。

The Xi administration probably feared that Bo’s style could ignite the people’s frustration against the current situation and lead to a flurry of criticism against the party.
　政権には、薄被告のやり方が現状への大衆の不満に火を付け、党批判の暴発を誘いかねないとの危機感があったのではないか。

Popularity still high

However, the court only examined the abuse of power charge in connection with Bo’s career as Chongqing party chief. His political style itself was not considered problematic in the ruling.
　ただ、重慶時代については職権乱用罪のみが審理され、被告の政治手法そのものが判決で問題視されることはなかった。

Bo still has strong public support, particularly among the poor. The Xi administration must have feared that the ruling, if it referred negatively to Bo’s political style, might have unnecessarily riled the public.
　薄被告には、今も貧困層を中心に根強い支持がある。習政権は、判決がその手法に言及すれば、国民をいたずらに刺激しかねないと警戒したのだろう。

The fact that messages posted on the Internet, sympathetic to Bo and opposed to the ruling, were deleted indicates how alert the Chinese authorities were on the matter.
　インターネット上で、薄被告に同情して判決に反発する書き込みが削除されたことにも、当局の警戒ぶりがうかがえる。

Bo categorically denied the charges and adopted a confrontational attitude. The life sentence apparently was intended to silence Bo and prevent the emergence of “another Bo Xilai,” who would stir up the people.
　薄被告は、起訴事実を全面否認し、対決姿勢を示した。無期刑には、被告の口を封じるとともに、大衆を扇動する「第二の薄煕来」の出現を阻むという意図が込められていると言える。

At around the same time as the trial, the Xi administration launched a corruption probe into senior officials of an oil company linked to former Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang, who was said to support Bo. This is aimed at dealing a blow to people linked to Bo and solidifying Xi’s power base.
　習政権は、公判に合わせるように、薄被告の後ろ盾と言われた周永康・前政治局常務委員の人脈に連なる石油業界の幹部らを汚職で摘発している。薄被告とつながる勢力に打撃を加え、権力基盤を固めようとする動きの一つだ。

Xi plans to hammer out economic structural reform measures at the general meeting of the party’s Central Committee scheduled for November.
　習氏は、１１月に開かれる党中央委員会総会で、経済構造改革方針を打ち出そうとしている。

Corruption and disparity problems will remain even if Bo is out of the picture. How Xi overcomes public discontent will hold the key to the party’s future.
　薄被告を排除しても、腐敗や格差の問題は残る。習氏が国民の不満をどう解消するかが、党の将来を左右することになろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 25, 2013)
（2013年9月25日01時43分 読売新聞）