Special to WorldTribune.com

By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com

President Hu Jintao has taken advantage of the political woes hitting Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai to put more pressure on the Gang of Princelings, which includes many of the supremo’s rivals.

The political fortunes of Bo, 62, arguably China’s most charismatic politician, have nosedived since his key protege, former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun, tried earlier this month to seek political asylum in the U.S. consulate in close by Chengdu, Sichuan Province.

Wang has since been detained in Beijing for investigations relating to alleged corruption and treason.

According to political sources in Beijing, Bo, who is a prominent princeling — a reference to the offspring of party elders — last week wrote a long letter of self-criticism to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC), China’s highest ruling council.

Apart from blaming himself for failing to ensure the good behavior of Wang, Bo indicated that he was prepared to take political responsibility by resigning from the 25-member Politburo, which he joined in 2007.

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