For Mr Jacques (the last editor of a defunct British magazine called Marxism Today), the Communist Party is a benign force, guiding the country through its spectacular boom while avoiding the collapse that afflicted the Soviet Union.

ECONOMIST: China's future

People familiar with the matter say that British officials in the region were aware of Mr. Heywood's close ties to Mr. Bo, who was the Chongqing Communist Party chief and a political rising star, as the Briton had advised many British businesses, attended embassy functions in Beijing and participated in meetings with British business and political figures.

WSJ: U.K. Officials in China Expressed Early Concern About Death