Social mood affects everyone, even the leadership

Bo 'had President wiretapped'

The hidden wiretapping, previously alluded to only in internal Communist Party accounts of the scandal, appears to have provided another compelling reason for party leaders to turn against Bo.

The story of how the president was monitored also shows the level of mistrust among them. Roderick MacFarquhar, a historian of China's elite-level machinations over the past half century, said: "This society has bred mistrust and violence.

"Leaders know you have to watch your back because you never know who will put a knife in it."

Beyond making a routine inspection, it is not clear why the disciplinary official who telephoned Hu - Ma Wen, the minister of supervision - was in Chongqing.

Her high-security land link to Hu from the state guesthouse in Chongqing was monitored on Bo's orders.

Here's a Chinese article based off a NYTimes report: 窃听中共高层电话 导致薄熙来下台

党内人士称，薄熙来窃听行为被视为对中央权力的直接挑战，使得他离攫取更高权力的距离越来越远，也加剧了中央对他的不信任。

　　报道称，中共一些资深党员，包括媒体人、学者和与军方有关系的人士透露，薄熙来的窃听行动始于数年之前，表面上是为了打击犯罪和维护当地政局稳定，而该监视系统的“工程师”就是王立军。

　　在薄王二人共同推动的“打黑”行动中受迫害的人士称，警方在极大范围内窃听了他们内部的通讯。已逃离中国的重庆富商李俊说：“在电话中，我们不敢谈薄熙来和王立军”，为了逃避监听，他们用手写交流，卸下手机电池，并囤积大量未经注册的SIM卡；但即使如此，也未能突破警方的窃听网。

　　一名政治分析员也透露，薄熙来甚至尝试窃听所有近年来到访过重庆的中央领导，包括高层中的“挺薄派”周永康，因为“他想清楚地知道中央领导对他到底是什么态度”。

　　在薄熙来的授意下，中共监察部部长马馼在重庆国宾馆与胡锦涛的通话也被王立军窃听。尽管通话内容可能并不涉及机密，但薄熙来对胡锦涛的窃听却让中央震怒，中纪委也在接下来几个月里收紧对王立军的调查。

　　一名中共高官说：“薄熙来希望把责任推给王立军，而王立军不敢说是薄指使他的”