Chongqing Vice Mayor's disappearance sparks rumors of US asylum

China National News Thursday 9th February, 2012

BEIJING - Speculation was rife, especially in the Chinese social media, that a well-known crime-fighting former police chief may have tried to and failed in getting political asylum in the United States.

Wang Lijun, one of China's former top police chiefs and the vice-mayor of Chongqing, is reported to have visited the US consulate in Chengdu on Tuesday night and sought meetings with officials there. He left the consulate after some time and there is no knowledge of his whereabouts.

Chengdu is just a few hours drive from Chongqing, where Wang is the deputy mayor.

Wang's tough crackdown on organised crime in the western megacity of Chongqing fetched him national recognition.

Last year he got the city's most powerful mob boss tried and executed. He also hired local writers to produce an official history of the campaign against organized crime syndicates in the city of 29 million.

He stepped down from his job as vice-mayor last week, triggering speculation of a quarrel with the city's Communist Party secretary, Bo Xilai, who is reported to be seeking national office.

According to speculation, the former police chief could have fallen out of favour with Bo over his brutal crackdown on criminal gangs.

The unusual presence of Chinese police outside the US Consulate in Chengdu fueled reports that Wang, 52, may have gone there to seek asylum.

Richard Buanguan, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said Wednesday, "As a matter of policy we never comment on reported requests for asylum."

US officials said that Wang had sought and was granted a meeting this week with officials at the Chengdu consulate.

Victoria Nuland, the chief State Department spokeswoman, said in Washington that Wang asked for the meeting "in his capacity as vice mayor", and he "left of his own volition.... He walked out. It was his choice," she added.

She said that the state department did not talk about issues related to those seeking refugee status or asylum.

On Wednesday, the Chongqing authorities said that Wang had gone on leave due to "stress".

The official statement said that Vice Mayor Wang Lijun was "highly stressed and in poor health ... because of long-term overwork" and that he was "accepting vacation-style treatment."

The Los Angeles Times quoted the Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily News as saying that Wang was arrested after failing to get political asylum. US-based Chinese website Boxun carried unconfirmed reports that Wang was being probed for torturing corruption suspects.