Following the Sept. 22 sentencing of former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai to life in prison on corruption charges, state-run media hailed the case as an example of China’s growing commitment to rule of law.

“The court not only made public the proceedings and results of the trial, but also gave the legal basis and reasoning for the judgment in the verdict announced Sunday,” the official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary. “It was a vivid demonstration of how the rule of law should be implemented.”