In China, Bo Xilai Ousted From Communist Party BEIJING - Bo Xilai, the brash Communist Party chief of the Chongqing municipality in China's southwest, has been removed from his post, an unmistakable sign that recent scandals in that city have put an end to his political ambitions and complicated the national leadership transition that will take place in the fall. The news, announced Thursday morning in a brief dispatch by the official Xinhua news service, said Vice Prime Minister Zhang Dejiang would replace him as party secretary of Chongqing. Until recently, Mr. Bo had been expected to join the all-powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo, a nine-member body that effectively runs the country. Seven of the members are to be replaced, and Mr. Bo's demotion suggests there will be more drama in a usually secret process. Mr. Bo's troubles began last month when his handpicked police chief, Wang Lijun, sought refuge in the United States Consulate in Chengdu, about 210 miles from Chongqing. Mr. Wang, who had come under scrutiny in a corruption inquiry, spent the night in the consulate before being escorted to Beijing by security officials. He remains under investigation. The drama that spread from Chongqing to Beijing in recent weeks has riveted the nation and emboldened Mr. Bo's many critics, who assailed a populist governing style that included an out-of-control assault on criminals and political enemies alike. Tall, charismatic and unusually loquacious for a Chinese official, Mr. Bo, 63, had led a "red" campaign in the teeming mountain city that called on its citizens to sing Mao-era songs. While popular among the city's 32 million residents, Mr. Bo's style unnerved many who said his tactics threatened to revive the destructive leftist ways of the past. With Mr. Bo running political interference, Mr. Wang took on the city's gangs, arresting 2,000 people, including high-level Communist Party officials charged with shielding crime lords. The campaign also skirted normal judicial procedures, and 13 people were executed after speedy trials. One Beijing analyst with senior-level connections said he had heard that Mr. Bo would be investigated and charged with violations relating to Mr. Wang's case and to evidence Mr. Wang had provided against him. But it was unclear how the case against Mr. Bo would be pursued, and the analyst said it could take months. "For now, Bo Xilai has been hung on the rack," the analyst said. He has no power and no position. That assessment could not be immediately confirmed, and without any word on a new assignment it was possible Mr. Bo could still have a political career. Some postings on Sina Weibo, China's popular microblog service, mocked Mr. Bo, but others were supportive of his efforts to spur economic growth, improve the lives of farmers and lessen the income gap in Chongqing. "He gave rural residents the same health insurance that only urban residents had," read one posting. I will miss him.