Chinese Police Chief May Defect

One of China’s most famous policemen may be seeking asylum with the U.S. Wang Lijun, a police chief renowned for fighting crime and connected with the Politburo, dropped out of public view last week. A brief government notice said Wang was undergoing “vacation-style therapy.” Speculation about Wang began last week after an announcement that he’d been moved from police duties to deal with economic matters. It’s rumored that Wang was purged by the Communist Party, and that he sought asylum at the U.S. consulate in Chengdu. Chinese police gathered outside the consulate, but a U.S. Embassy spokesman said he was “not in a position to comment” regarding requests for asylum.