Bo Guagua, who graduated from Harvard University's Kennedy School this year, confirmed by email the contents of a statement posted Saturday on his Tumblr account, the newspaper reported.

"Personally, it is hard for me to believe the allegations that were announced against my father, because they contradict everything I have come to know about him throughout my life", the statement said.

"Although the policies my father enacted are open to debate, the father I know is upright in his beliefs and devoted to duty," the statement said.

"He has always taught me to be my own person and to have concern for causes greater than ourselves", it said.

"I have tried to follow his advice. At this point, I expect the legal process to follow its normal course, and I will await the result".

The comments came after state media announced Friday that Bo Xilai was expelled from the Communist Party and will "face justice" for a litany of alleged crimes including abuse of power, taking bribes and improper sexual relations.

At the same time, state media announced that a key party congress which will enact a one-in-a-decade leadership transition will be held on November 8.

Both Bo's fate and the date of the congress had been the subject of intense speculation over whether China's biggest political scandal in decades would unsettle the highly choreographed leadership change.

Bo Xilai, the former party boss of the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing, had once been seen a top candidate for promotion to the party's highest echelons of power.

His stunning fall from grace began earlier this year after his former key aide and Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun turned against him with dramatic allegations that Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, murdered a British businessman.

Gu was given a death sentence commuted to life in prison in August, while Wang was sentenced to 15 years in prison last week.

The announcement comes amid a damaging political scandal involving Bo Xilai, a senior party boss who is to stand trial for a litany of crimes including abuse of power and improper sexual relations.

"Let us rally more closely around the CPC central committee with comrade Hu Jintao as the general secretary," said Wen in a speech that came two days before the 63rd anniversary of the proclamation of People's Republic.

Hu will handover power as head of the party to Vice President Xi Jinping during the congress on November 8, but will remain the country's president until next March.

The congress will allow the party to "open new perspectives on development," Wen told an audience of some 2,000 diplomats and officials gathered at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square.

Both Bo's fate and the date of the congress had been the subject of intense speculation over whether China's biggest political intrigue in decades would unsettle the highly choreographed leadership change.

The announcement on Bo marked an unprecedentedly harsh public rebuke for a Chinese Communist official as authorities looked to lay to rest the damaging episode that shocked China and saw Bo's wife convicted of murder.

State media on Saturday lauded the party for putting on a forceful display of unity by expelling Bo, but web users denounced the case as a sign of deep-rooted corruption.

In his speech, Premier Wen, who will also give up his position as head of government next spring, recapped his party's achievements in expanding economic growth but said more needed to be done.

"We have followed the overall guideline of making progress while ensuring stability, strengthened and improved macro regulations and given greater priority to stabilising growth," he said.

But, he added: "While recognising achievements, we must always keep a cool head. Our country is still at the primary stage of socialism and the productivity is not high."

He also touched upon foreign policy, amid an ongoing territorial dispute with Japan over remote islands in the East China Sea which has seen relations between the two countries plummet.

"We will firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Wen vowed.