The high-profile murder trial of the wife of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has begun.

Officials said the closed-door trial of Gu Kailai and her houshold aide started early Thursday amid heavy security at a courthouse in the eastern city of Hefei.

The two are accused of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood in November in the southwestern city of Chongqing, where Bo had been the Communist Party leader.

Observers say Gu is likely to be found guilty in what is expected to be a brief trial, as Beijing aims to contain a scandal that has exposed deep rifts ahead of a sensitive transition of power later this year.

The scandal has brought down her husband, Bo Xilai, who was once considered a rising star in China's Communist Party. The son of a famous revolutionary leader, Bo had been seen as a top contender for the Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision making body, before he was stripped of his political posts earlier this year.