Top China cop seeks asylum in US consulate?

Reuters, file/

Wang Lijun reads documents as he attends a session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) last month.

msnbc.com news services

BEIJING — A prominent Chinese official who might have been the country's most famous policeman has dropped from sight amid unconfirmed reports of a political scandal and a bid for U.S. asylum.

The Chongqing city government said Wednesday that Wang Lijun, its police chief until last week, had "reportedly" taken leave to recover from anxiety and physical ailments resulting from his heavy work load.

A brief government notice said Wang, who is also a vice mayor, was undergoing "vacation-style therapy," but gave no details.

A city government spokesman, who like many Chinese bureaucrats would only give his surname, Ye, confirmed the notice but did not elaborate.

Wang made his mark busting gangs, but Chongqing announced last week that he was being shifted from his police duties to deal with economic and other matters.

He has been the subject of days of speculation since then, including online reports that he sought asylum at the American consulate in Chengdu after a falling-out with the city's powerful Communist Party secretary, Bo Xilai.

Bo, who sits on the party's powerful 25-member Politburo, appointed Wang in 2008 to clean up the force and take on organized crime in a campaign that drew national attention, as well as criticism that it ignored proper legal procedures. More >>