Bo Xilai's complexion was dark and ashen, while his son Bo Guagua's gaze was fierce and intimidating.
[People News] Reports have emerged that Bo Guagua, son of Bo Xilai, traveled to Taiwan for a wedding with a descendant of a prominent medical family. With Bo Guagua's parents currently serving prison sentences in China, his status as an overseas exile makes this development highly sensitive. The news of a well-known "red third-generation" figure becoming a "Taiwan son-in-law" has attracted significant attention from Taiwan's national security agencies, while Chinese authorities have reportedly blocked related news.
On November 15, Taiwan’s United Daily News reported that Bo Guagua arrived in Taiwan on November 13 from Canada to hold a wedding banquet with the granddaughter of Xu Wenzheng, founder of Taiwan’s Luodong Bo’ai Hospital. The report noted that on November 15, Bo visited Yilan to meet his fiancée's parents and underwent a health check at Bo’ai Hospital, where police officers were briefly seen outside the facility.
According to the United Daily News, the wedding banquet is scheduled to take place at The One Nanyuan Cultural Resort in Xinfeng Township, Hsinchu County, a venue originally built by the founder of the newspaper, Wang Tiwu.
On November 15, Radio Free Asia contacted the public relations department of Bo’ai Hospital, and they stated they were unaware of the matter. When verifying the wedding banquet schedule, the front desk at The One Nanyuan Cultural Resort said they had not received any information.
Rumored Bride: A Third-Generation Descendant of a Prominent Political Family
Liberty Times reported that the bride’s late grandfather, Xu Wenzheng, who passed away in 2019, had close ties to the Kuomintang (KMT). He served as Speaker of the Yilan County Council, a Control Yuan member, a National Policy Advisor, and a Senior Advisor to President Ma Ying-jeou. Xu's family has remained tight-lipped about the marriage.
A local resident in Yilan told Radio Free Asia that the bride met Bo Guagua while studying in the UK.
Taiwan’s National Security Agencies Closely Monitor Bo’s Visit
The National Security Bureau responded to the news by stating that it operates in accordance with the law to coordinate security units, monitor and collect evidence on unusual activities of foreign individuals in Taiwan, and promptly provide relevant authorities with information. However, the bureau declined to comment on specific cases.
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, responsible for cross-strait affairs, replied to Radio Free Asia that this case involves a Chinese mainland individual applying for family reunification in Taiwan under Taiwan's regulations. Given the special identity of the applicant, the government is fully aware of the situation. Regarding the details of the legal application process for mainland Chinese individuals entering Taiwan, the council, out of respect for the applicant's privacy, refrains from disclosing further information. It also called on all parties to respect the wishes of the individuals and their families for discretion.
According to Taiwan's immigration laws and the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, individuals cannot hold household registrations in both Taiwan and mainland China simultaneously. Additionally, given that the People's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality, if Bo Guagua still holds Chinese citizenship, Taiwan would classify him as a mainland Chinese citizen rather than a foreign national. In this case, the couple would first need to marry in mainland China and have their marriage certificate notarized and verified by Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation before applying for a family reunion permit to enter Taiwan.
The Secretary-General of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation stated: "We have not received any application at this time."
Under Taiwan’s immigration laws and cross-strait relations regulations, individuals cannot simultaneously hold household registrations in both Taiwan and mainland China. Additionally, the People's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality. If Bo Guagua retains Chinese citizenship, he would be classified as a mainland Chinese national in Taiwan. This would require the couple to first marry in China, obtain a notarized marriage certificate, and have it verified by Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation to apply for family reunification in Taiwan.
The Secretary-General of Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation, Lo Wen-jia, stated at a press conference that no application has been received thus far. Lo questioned under what identity Bo entered Taiwan, saying the matter would be handled according to law without special privileges. He emphasized the importance of fairness and respect for individual choices.
Bo Guagua is the grandson of Bo Yibo, a senior CCP leader, and the son of Bo Xilai, who was a member of the CCP Politburo and Party Secretary of Chongqing. During his tenure in Chongqing, Bo Xilai promoted the “sing red, strike black” campaign. In 2013, Bo Xilai was convicted of bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power and sentenced to life imprisonment. He is currently serving his sentence in Beijing’s Qincheng Prison.
Bo’s mother, Gu Kailai, was convicted in 2012 of the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. She was initially sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, later commuted to life imprisonment in 2014.
Now 37, Bo Guagua studied at Oxford University starting in 1998 before pursuing further education at Harvard and Columbia University. He earned a Juris Doctor degree in 2016, passed the bar exam in the United States, and worked as an analyst for a Canadian company and interned at a law firm in New York.
Taiwan is in an uproar, while China blocks the news.
The news of Bo becoming a "Taiwan son-in-law" has sparked lively discussions among Taiwanese netizens. Comments range from calling him “the most high-profile Chinese spouse” to “proof of true cross-strait unity” and “welcome to bring the money to Taiwan.”
Meanwhile, searches for "Bo Guagua" on Chinese media platforms and Weibo yielded no related results about his upcoming marriage in Taiwan.
In response, Professor Fan Shih-ping from the Department of Political Science at National Taiwan Normal University told Radio Free Asia that Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai are currently imprisoned, and Bo Guagua has no possibility of returning to China. Therefore, it is unlikely that China will have any reaction.
Fan said: "China’s position is awkward; it can’t publicly advocate ‘cross-strait unity’ or wish for a happy cross-strait marriage. If he weren’t Bo Xilai’s son, this marriage could have been used as a narrative to promote closer cross-strait ties. But this is highly sensitive—Bo Xilai was sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption, and especially with Xi Jinping still in power, many view Bo Xilai as a scapegoat of political infighting. China has never had a fair judicial system."
Honorary Professor Ding Shuh-fan from National Chengchi University also told Radio Free Asia: "Just think of it as two young people simply wanting to build a marriage and family together. It just so happens that these two young people come from opposing sides. Many cross-strait issues are beyond their control."
(Source: Adapted from Radio Free Asia)
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