Conflict of party and private lifestyles
China has no direct equivalent of Hello magazine - the celebrity magazine in the UK in which readers are invited to gaze at public figures doing everyday things at home such as clinking champagne glasses whilst lying on thick rugs.
As a result, we know almost nothing of the private lives of China's leaders. That means that there's huge amounts of interest here whenever anyone gets any kind of peek into the off-stage life of Communist Party politicians and their families. There's particular interest when someone's private lifestyle appears to conflict with the frugal existence officially preached by the party.
So, internet users here have been poring over photos of Bo Guagua - who's the son of the Politburo member Bo Xilai. Mr Bo jr is a student at Oxford University (a Chinese youth organisation recently named him one of the 10 most accomplished Chinese people living in the UK.)
Pictures posted on social networking sites appear to show Mr Bo jr enjoying all the standard (and occasionally archaic) pursuits available to a student at Oxford.
Some comments from Internet users...
"How come a modest civil servant in China has that much money to send his son to Oxford? I remain perplexed despite much thought."
"It's certainly good to be an official."
"Oh well, what can I say."
I’m 
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Bo Xilai is no modest civil servent. He is the equivelent of Peter Mandelson in the UK. I hardly consider any Politburo member, the equal of senior cabinet ministers in the UK a "modest" minister. The news about Mr Bo's son in Oxford enjoying the trappings of any privelaged students studying there is hardly news to me.
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The corruption that exists in Chinese politics, not just at provincial level is, quite frankly, a disgrace.
The aforementioned Guagua who, before attending my alta mata, was actually a student at Harrow. One wonders how his father, albeit China's Foreign Minister for a brief period, could afford the school fees on a basic government salary (however much that is - the lack of transparency prevents anyone from knowing).
Perhaps the children of government officials should reflect on the plight of hundreds of millions of poor folk - their own people - living in China's hinterland.
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Apparently he has "won" a studentship for his Oxford studies...I wonder how likely it is for someone else in China with his ability to win the same studentship.
However Im glad to learn that one of the potential future leaders of China is now being educated in the UK. Hopefully under his leadership, the Chinese police force would eventually abandon traditional methods such as using umbrellas to "protect" Chinas imagine from the journalists.
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Mr. Bo Xilai is an excellent and very competent civil servant. Since he only has one child, a son, it is obvious that child is a bit spoiled. Bo Guagua does not seem very different compared to his Western counterparts. He is different compared to his Chinese counterparts though. Anyway, I think there is nothing wrong with him partying and enjoying life. I think those criticizing him are just jealous and envy him, and they need to open up their mind.
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How come the Chinese internet comments sounded so English? I remain perplexed despite much thought.
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Those pictures simply show student life and it's actually quite refreshing to see a Chinese student joining the wider student community here.
A modest civil servant has enough money to send his son here, just as I have met the sons and daughters of teachers and administrators whose parents have spent many years saving 200-300,000RMB for their Masters here, so this isn't exactly shocking. I think you'll find the fees for Oxford are the tip of the iceberg and this guy will own numerous properties, cars, (black and German of course) and holiday abroad every few months.
What is interesting is the fact that many students are not actually here for the Masters at all, but for the chance to stay and work here and save some real money. That's why the British goverenment allow them to stay for two years: to keep the students (and their parent's hard earned money) flowing in.
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With out freedom of the press, there is nothing to stop corruption. It will occur at all levels of government. The higher up, the worse it will be. The Chinese government has been very clever to transform its image into an 'angel of light'. But really it is the opposite.Thousands of corrupt officials have everything to lose and nothing to gain from a free press. My comment is really on human nature, naturally selfish and inclined to do bad. As flawed as human governments are, a free press and independent judiciary will provide some improvement.
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I don't think James understands Oxford University. Perhaps 95% of Oxford undergraduates will own a dinner suit (made in China?) from whatever background they come from, and maybe 50% will go to a Commem Ball (£200) and get drunk and photographed on the arm of a pretty women. You don't have to be rich, just careful and maybe take a job (none British students in the UK can do 20 hours of paid work per week during their studies).
It is a question for the Chinese commentors (sic) as who paid his fees (£9000 per annum over three years),and how much his allowance is and who pays.
But there are a number of slightly older Chinese students in UK Universities who have saved up to pay for themselves and maybe have taken out a loan. I hope they all enjoy their studies and student life.
However before you all come, UK Universities need to manage the provision they make for non British students and dare I say it adjust their attitudes but I think that goes for Universities in all countries.
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Power corrupts: Absolute power corrupts, absolutely. Only the Chinese believe that their leaders are somehow common people leading common lives. Leadership families control banks,financial services, govenmental operations and most large businesses. Socialism is dead in China, Captialism is the cover for corruption. Marx was wrong about Socialism, but may have been correct about Captialism. Human nature is human nature and in history only the name of the governments have changed, not that they have always been a vehicle for self-enrichment of the leaders. China is not unique in the relationship of power and wealth. Why do people think the banks are being bailed out worldwide? The Chinese people have a history of suffering under corrupt governments, this is just one more. In the West individuals spend much more to get elected than an office will pay in salary....that is not because of commitment to some social good they wish to accomplish. Government officals all over the world wear different clothes, but it is all made from the same cloth.
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"China has no direct equivalent of Hello magazine"
what a nonsense! James, may in ask you that you've ever gone out and had a look around in the local shops in Beijing? Celebrity magazines are every where, maybe too many of them. Maybe they don't have any fancy pictures of Wen or Hu, but Hello doesn't do Gordon's either, none of them are lookers!
If you reporting China, please do some reaserach, and provide your readers with a fair background of the news.
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Nice find James! as ever. Bo Guagua caught in the act going wild at Oxford.
Nearly catching up with the Royal Family eh!
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This is pretty much the standard practise at Oxford. Even the poorest go out - just like in his pictures.
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This happen in many countries, including in the US. But only in China can the people criticize the government for it and actually get listened to by the government.
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behcas: It is totally possible as one of my friends from China was awarded a scolarship for Nottingham University, which she wanted to attend.
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It is the first time I could agree with you, James. I had same instant question how could Bo Guagua's father Bo Xilai able to afford £25,000 a year for past 10 years for Bo Guagua's education in UK? Bo Xilai is high rank Chinese official, but he and his wife's salaries no way could reach that level. Bo Xilai has another son li Wangzhi from previous marriage, who is also studied in Overseas.
Is Mr. Bo Xilai an excellent and very competent civil servant? We do not know, we do not think so. But the story does ring the bell that the corruption exists in Chinese politics.
We hope Chinese official could find it out! Everyone wants the answer in or out China.
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I work at a university in Liverpool and there are many Chinese students, many goes to clubbing with pretty Chinese and western girls in their arms. It is student life and you dont have to be the son of a politburo member to enjoy such lifestyle, you only need to be a student. James need to return to the UK and investigate goings on at home.
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I heard something from a friend, but even him couldn't assure if this information is real.
Mr. HU, the chairman of China, told his son before he(son) could enjoy life in bussiness, but he should never touch politic a little during his entire life. Even without any help from his father, the son of chairman will respected by other bussiness partners, and they wish to do bussiness with him. However, if his son touch the politic, all the other party members will angry and fear he would gain big advantages not from his capability but from his blood relation. This will ruin both his and his father's life.
You could always see some high candidates or leaders of China has a high position father,(the other party member trust him as his father). But you could never see any child of chairman (not include vice chairman) touch politic.
So Bo Guagua could enjoy his life in every place except politic, unless his father failed to be a chairman then he could have hope to participate in politic.
It's not good, but china didn't need a Kim II or Bush II. There are so many talent people, without one nothing will happen.
How much they need pay for the fee of university? My family saved equaly 300,000 dollar to prepare any accident. My parents are all teachers in university. Every month they together earn about 2000 dollars and our entire family spend about 200-250 dollars per month. We really don't buy anything that is unnecessary, and the food price in china is much lower than here (usually one yuan which equal to 0.16 dollar could purchase same amount one dollar's food in US). And the officer also don't need buy too many things, their house don't need pay unless you wish to live in a bigger house than the gov provide, their car and driver is payed by gov, their working cloth is payed by gov, their computer is provide by gov, they only need to buy food.
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zhangchi36: please be aware that James correctly wrote "China has no direct equivalent of Hello magazine". There are, of course, magazines that have articles about celebrities but there are none that are like Hello magazine in terms of content.
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I agree with you at this time. I have the same wondering about how is possible that Mr. Bo Xilai can support his son educating in Oxford,even though his wife is a lawyer in China. After simple math, apparently that Bo's total expenses exceeds his family's income if he didn't take money under table. As well as when I saw his son photos posted on a website, it shows Bo Guagua is nothing but a playboy,He really makes me sick.
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Without an independent judiciary or free press, is anyone surprised at the 'disgrace' of the level of corruption in Chinese politics?
And the lack of transparency, which some argue is good in certain situations (over Tiananmen etc) also applies to not knowing what salaries the government earns etc.
So transparency is ultimately required if the people want to know they're not being ripped off by their politicians- just as we finally have in the UK.
China should follow our example!
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I know of a few chinese studying in my country and they are not from rich parents. Although my country is not as expensive as UK, it is comparable. So I guess this is very normal in China.
Anyway, how much the UK citizen know about the private life of their politicians.
It is as unacceptable in UK as in China. So I would hope for greater transparency in UK and CHINA. Eventually my own Country.
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I'm not going to speculate on whether there is corruption afoot here, what I can comment on is how far Chinese parents will go into debt to be able to send their children to a famous university, particularly a single child, and male child.
In the current Chinese society of single child policy, there are actually 5 adults supporting the one child (this often lead to very spoiled children..) - the parents and the two sets of grand parents. And the majority of them will give up their life savings for the precious lone child to be able to go to school.
So it's not inconceivable a civil servant can afford to do this; a lot of common Chinese already do this to a lesser degree, sending their children abroad to study while going into debt.
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I am a Brit living in Beijing and I am marrying in to a Chinese family very soon. My fiancee works for the Government, so do his parents but the rest of the family are still poor so I have a broad view of the lifestyle here in Beijing.
The Chinese people have a strong belief in saving all the money you can. Saving is an important part of life here. Even the poorer citizens can have around 40,000 rmb (4,000 pounds) of savings in their bank accounts. This is due to the fact that medical services are expensive here and they save this money incase they need an operation when they get older.
Bo Xilai's salary probably isn't that high, a Government job here doesn't promise you wealth BUT you do get a lifetime of benefits and freebies. If you have a very good position in the Government, you get given a property, a car...
My point is, Bo Xilai probably saved hard for his son's education and because of the benefits he recieves as a government worker he could probably have saved more than most.
And in response to one commenter's sarcastic comment...the fact that Bo Guagua won a studentship has nothing to do with his father. Students win those at Oxford because they deserve it. Also, picking on the fact he is out partying? There ARE Chinese students who know how to have a good time! He is a student!
I have a very good friend who owns a small company here in Beijing. He was born in the impoverished countryside of Hunan province. He told me he had enough of the hard life working in the countryside and used all his savings to come to Beijing and study biology. In the end, after all his hard work, he won a full scholarship from Cambridge University to study his PhD.
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Apparently he was expelled from Ox? And missing from James' report is that BoGG was the first Chinese student at Harrow and a excellent one too(winning scholarships and publishing a book)...
I echo most people above, he's just a young boy enjoying his youth. Hopefully not on the hard earned money of the Chinese peasants!!
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I see this more as a dmaning indictment of our sub-par higher education system than of the extravagances of lifestyle.
In China, early and elementary education is fantastic - young learners go through at a terriffic rate what their Western counterparts don't touch until high school. But for some reason, when the children reach middle school, the standard drops off amazingly. So too in highschool and university.
Most Chinese parents would love the opportunity to send their children abroad to better universities to study, but it is the privileged few that can do this.
Part of the problem is the enormous volume of people, and the subversion of the one child policy by the rich and the divorced. 40 - 50 grumbling teenagers in a stuffy classroom is hardly te best environment for learning, and teachers have enough trouble keeping order and motivating children to learn.
Private schools here are hardy better, and sometimes worse with parents interfering in a negative manner in classroom affairs, overruling the authority of the teacher and sowing the seeds of discontent every time their lazy, spoit child is reprimanded.
What is nice to see in this picture is that the young man is engaging with UK students: there is a portion of foreign students who simply insulate themselves against the cuture they live in and never experience the fullest extremesand excitements: we had several interns who studied in the UK and spent 4 years eating rice and noodles, they were amazed when we recently dragged them out to western restaurants here -knives and forks were the stuff of myth to these children.
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Oh well, what can I say. But fortunately, China is better than North Korea, though the governments of these 2 countries are essentially the same.
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As usual people missing the point.
No one is disputing that people who attend Oxford go partying!? The blog entry is not discussing that people in powerful positions in the UK also have spoiled sons and daughters sent to such schools. Is it a reference to civil service wages versus high priced education and a party who preaches a way of living which should be adopted by the Chinese versus the kind of living going on amongst the elite.
I should also point out that i cant get onto the link from the blog above, nor read ANYTHING about said son (i.e. even the news of his scholarship award) on the chinadigitaltimes. Neither can i read about his father on wikipedia.
Saying that though, a google search of Bo Guagua lists the wiki page of his father and tantalises with this:
"They have one son, Bo Guagua, who won a place to study PPE at Oxford University but was expelled before he could complete his course. ..."
It could be wrong, false, or someone messing around, which happens on wiki from time to time. And also considering the discussion here is about him attending Oxford, then its very possibly not true. The point however (since it often needs explained), is that since im in China i am not free to browse this particular wikipedia page in order to find out.
Bo, in Oxford, if he reads this blog, or googles himself, has the freedom to know what the world is saying about him...Party on Bo, mines a pint.
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Interesting!!!think there is a great career scope if one seriously thinking of becoming an undercover paparazzi; exposing the lifestyle of Chinese officials and their sons and daughters.
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I hate corruption. But, before you start bashing, you need to prove whether a person studying in UK is a result of corruption. I knew that tens of thousands of Chinese are studying abroad, not all of them are from rich families. And talking about corruption, what do you Britons think of the fact that the British royal family members can enjoy everything that ordinary UK citizens cannot enjoy, just because they were born in a right place? If you don't bother for that, why do you have to bother about a Chinese studying in an ordinary UK university?
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There is must be a reason for the prize Bo jr won, he must have done something excellent and he deserve it.
The pictures just shows how a 22-year old enjoy himself during his 20s,I am a chinese and working in oxford uni after graduate in UK,the true is that 90% students (both local and oversea students) always have parties for any occasion. I dont understand why we have to pick someone famours or his/her famours backgroud to criticize their life.
I am sure Bo guagua has lots presure from his family background.So just leave him along is best thing to do.
Also I think, Oxford uni is one of the best uni and provide the best education, so what is problem Bo is educated in here. China is fast developing country and needs educated people to assist with it, Bo is not the only one.There is thousands chinese students in uk.They just choose what is best for them if financially available.
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I don't think people are angry with the ordinary oxford student life. The thing people are angry with is the Party using double standard and telling lies. To ordinary people they asked them to be domicile and respect family life and work hard to contribute to the country. They tell pleasure and too much free life is a sin as "corrupted capitalistic lifestyle" would destroy us all so we all need to live a modest and almost puritan lifestyle. Yet on the back of the door they knew those are loads of b*locks. Those are lies to keep ordinary working hard so that they don't think the current political system and nobody would question their reign. It is just like a priest telling you drinking and adultery are sins yet he himself indulge it to full swing. The sense of betrayal, that's what people angry about.
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I hope Mr Bo Guagua not only learn the fun lifestyle of the oxford student which maybe common to most UK people but is definitely a privilege to ordinary Chinese people when they have to work extra long hours just to bring the food on the table and provide basic educations for their children, he also would learn the freedom of thinking and speech, respect ordinary peoples right and equality and applied them on poor Chinese people.
If he can gain that from Oxford and influence his father, even if the money is corruption result it is a good deal.
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That's exactly what I am talking about!! while his son is have a "corrupted capitalistic lifestyle", the father is sending the red text to encouraging people living a discreet live. What a loads of crap. The worse of worse, the ordinary can do nothing about it.
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To 2* hizento
This guy is not equivalent of peter manderson. Oh he is much better than peter manderson. If peter manderson use government money to fund his son's lifestyle, he will go home soon. But this guy will not go home for as long as you live. Even better, after he resign in the far far future, his son will take over his position if not get a better one. Those people are born to reign, unfortunate to most Chinese people.
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so he took a few pictures with pretty british women, what is so extravagance about this?
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The photos are blocked, classic China.
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As far as I know, Bo never submitted any fraudulent expenses claim to China's NPC.
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To #43
There really have no evidence that chairman's son could touch politic and to become another chairman. Or you could give me one example in either China or USSA. Communism is not Feudal system, NK is not a real communism country although the name of the party is called NK communism party. And they even don't talk Marx much, just talking about the theory from Kim I. Cuba is a communism country, although their didn't have leadership change before. But its politic system is real communism, and they follow the road and method from Marx. China today is very special, I don't know it is a communism body wear capitalism cloth or a capitalism body wear communism cloth. Free market is a typical aspect of capitalism, however, improve production efficency is also one of the main aim of communism from Marx. When this two thing didn't conflict, it applied in China so quickly, and have great effect. The people who perfer the capitalism think it is the capitalism make China rich and strong so China should make more politic change as what they did in economy, so China will become more rich and strong. And the people who perfer the communism think use free market to improve the production efficency is the right way to achieve communism, and it is follow the Marx method which make China improvement,thus we need constant follow the method of Marx. No one know which is the right reason, so no one know which road will have a bright future, but luckly the real situation is China become rich and strong.
If I could have a better life, who cares much which way it achieves. When the India show better perfermence, China should study from them and also move our politic system similar with them. If anyone wish to change China, please don't only use verb attack China, but take effort to help India to show a better example. When that time arrive, no one could deny the universal suffrage could make a huge and poor country prosperity. And no one will refuse the capitalism system any more.
No comparison group no presuasive conclusion. Comparison group should formed between two similar samples.
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James has been copying from Chinese media recently? how come the free media has to do this?
Under the guidiance of Mr Reynolds, many bloggers here are getting a conclusion that the oversea Chinese students are all from rich background or corrupted officials? Sad. Some people can get fooled so easily.
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Never known Bo Xilai'son is at Oxford. Maybe he is heavily guarded or we students, Chinese or foreign, don't care to make a fuss about him at Oxford.
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Considering China's gender imbalance is as high as 163 boys for every 100 girls in some cities, I suspect Bo Jr would want to settle with one of the girls he was hugging before going back to China.
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China may not have equivalent of 'Hello' in the UK, but it does have 'Grazia'. I read the story of Bo GuaGua winning the 'prestigious' Big Ben award in London for being one of the most 'accomplished' Chinese youth in the UK in Grazia China magazine and didn't know whether I should laugh or cry. Apparently Gok Wan won the award as well but did not turn up. I do not know what criteria they judge those winners on, but one of the outstanding things mentioned about GuaGua was the fact that he had more than 3000 friends on facebook!! If I were Gok Wan I would 'fail' to turn up too...
It makes me feel ashamed that my Chinese compatriots would think this is a news worthy story. There are lots of Chinese students studying at Oxford, Cambridge and other ivy league universities in the world, but why didn't they get the media attention?? Think the answer is obvious...
When I was studying in the UK, there was a story in the local newspaper about a young Chinese high school student who couldn't afford the private tuition demanded by her school (as her mother fell sick) so she worked there as a cleaner every night and every weekend till 10pm before revising for her A-levels. She gained 5 As and got a Cambridge Scholarship. She was headhunted even before she graduated. This story happened 10 years ago. Her story really contrasts with Bo GuaGua's one, but it is clear for me who would be more deserving of all the media attention!!
Bo's parents are both high ranking party officials. Their salaries combined would be around £200,000 per year if not more. Plus they get free housing, allowances, driver etc....
James, for your information no one in China actually believe that their dear leaders live a frugal existence. We are not North Koreans.
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@46 - well no-one officially knows what Party officials earn or what their benefits are. There's no transparency in a Communist state.
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