Neil Heywood "considered leaving China" after rift with Bo Xilai

In the wake of Mr Wang’s appearance in Chengdu, the Communist party secretary
of Chongqing, Bo Xilai, has been deposed. Mr Heywood’s relationship
with the Bo family has led to speculation that they may have been involved
in his death.

But some sources have questioned the timing of the news of the UK’s demands
for an investigation, suggesting that a smear campaign against Mr Bo may be
under way.

Mr Reed said that the relationship between Mr Heywood and Mr Bo had cooled.
“He had not had anything to do with Bo for some time. My own view is
that he died of a heart attack. He did not give the impression that Bo was
angry with him or wanted to silence him.”

“I met Neil in Beijing. He had been there a long time and I would try and
see him at least once a year – whenever I was over and he had time spare for
supper, basically,” he said.

“We would talk about politics among other things, but I don’t think he was
unusual in that. Maybe better informed than most, because he had known Mr
Bo, but nothing that many analysts of Chinese politics had not already
speculated.”

Mr Heywood ran a research company in China, Heywood Boddington Associates, and
had done occasional work for Hakluyt, a corporate intelligence company set
up by former members of MI6. However, Mr Reed said that the image of Mr
Heywood as a corporate spy, living in fear of his life “could not be further
from the truth”.

“When I heard he died I was very shocked. I thought maybe a car crash, because
he was a slightly crazy driver. But I’ve no reason to suspect he didn’t die
of a heart attack. As far as I can see, no one else has either. There has
been absolutely no proof produced that he did not,” he said.

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