China's trial of a century: Cracks in the monolith?

It has all the hallmarks of a crime potboiler: murder, money and intrigue; a court case that's shed unwanted light on the inner machinations of China's Communist Party leadership. After only seven hours in court, officials say Gu Kailai, the wife of the deposed political leader Bo Xilai, along with an accomplice, had all but confessed to poisoning a British businessman. There is no verdict as yet but the case is a massive embarrassment for the Communist Party.

DEBATE

Jean-Paul TCHANG, Economist and financier / China specialist;
Emmanuel LINCOT, Chair, Contemporary China Studies (Catholic University of Paris);
Ola WONG, Journalist & Writer;
Fabienne CLÉROT, Research Fellow, IRIS think tank.
Watch the second part

Programme prepared and produced by Wassim Nasr, Sara Bertilsson and Mary Colombel

Presenter

François Picard

17/12/2010 - THE DEBATE

The End of Privacy?

Time Magazine’s Person of the Year’s changed our lives for good argues François Picard’s panel in the France 24 Debate. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange grabbing headlines with their “tell no secrets” way of communicating. Is it the end of privacy… for all of us?

16/12/2010 - THE DEBATE

Europe: austerity anger management

Is there a disconnect between Europe's leaders who convene Thursday for a summit...and their citizens who are protesting in the streets? Are we headed for a winter of discontent? How tight should belt-tightening go?

16/12/2010 - THE DEBATE

Europe: austerity anger management

15/12/2010 - THE DEBATE

Crunch Time in Ivory Coast (part 2)

It’s crunch time in Ivory Coast. The opposition has planned a march on state television for Thursday. From his U.N.-guarded hotel that serves as headquarters, Alassane Ouattara may have the backing of the international community but Laurent Gbagbo remains in control of the loyalist army as well as cocoa, oil and other main sources of revenue. Who will blink first, and can a bloodbath be avoided?