From what I can see, it looks like this is a move by Hu Jintao to make sure that Bo Xilai doesn't get onto the Standing Committee, where he could well have implemented a coup with the backing of Zhou Yongkang who controls the state security forces.
The final piece in the puzzle which has enabled them to move against Bo was the Wang Lijun affair. Now the CCP elders can shunt Bo off his career path, and take the oil monopoly from Zhou.
It's a classic Communist power struggle, and a sign of the times that news of it has leaked out to the public.
Hopefully this incident will put the Maoists back, the PRC really doesn't need another Mao in power, nor does the world.
