Beijing:
China says the former police chief at the heart of the country's biggest political scandal in years has been charged with defection, power abuse, and bribe taking.
The official Xinhua News Agency gave no immediate details on Wednesday about the charges against Wang Lijun. But the announcement indicates a trial will come soon, moving the scandal closer to a resolution before a key transition to a new generation of national leaders this fall.
Mr Wang, who had also been a vice mayor in the southwestern city of Chongqing, set off the scandal by fleeing to the US consulate in the nearby city of Chengdu. That led to the dismissal of the city's powerful communist party boss Bo Xilai and the conviction of Bo's wife for the murder of a British businessman.