Crown Prince Party

China’s new leaders are the first post-revolutionary generation — they represent a shift from those who fought alongside Mao Zedong to the children of those Communist warriors. But whether this new generation is ready to make large-scale political and economic changes remains to be seen.

China is at a crossroads. The economic engine that has allowed its political leaders unprecedented peace and prosperity in the Communist nation, is slowing and the leaders there recognize that changes will be need to continue growing. But that’s proving difficult, and coming at the same time the nation attempts a power transition and deals with a political scandal.

Never before has such a dramatic power transfer in China unfolded in the Internet era. Making this even more dramatic is controversial news this week that a one-time popular party leader has been suspended from his posts and his wife has been arrested and charged with murder. All this is unfolding on the Internet in China.

Gu Kailai, the wife of powerful Chinese political leader Bo Xilai, was charged in connection with the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood, who was believed to have died in his hotel room in Chongqing. Bo was an up-and-coming political leader in China who has fallen from grace in the wake of a scandal amidst a leadership transition in the country.

China will undergo its once-in-a-decade leadership transition this year — and the stakes are always high. This year, though, rumors of military coups and political intrigue among top leaders is complicating matters and has political leaders doing their best to retain control.