China’s Ping An eyes legal action after NYT reports on premier’s family wealth
Posted: November 27, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, corruption, New York Times, Wen Jiabao, Wen Jiabao family’s hidden wealth Comments Off on China’s Ping An eyes legal action after NYT reports on premier’s family wealthReuters reports: “China’s second-biggest insurance company has threatened to take legal action against the New York Times for reports that Premier Wen Jiabao’s relatives had accumulated massive wealth, largely through holdings in the firm.
“In a written statement on Monday, Ping An Insurance (Group) Co of China Ltd said it had “noted recent media coverage related to the company, which contains serious inaccuracies, facts being distorted and taken out of context, as well as flawed logic’.
“It added that it ‘will take appropriate legal action commensurate with the damage and adverse impact the media reports have caused to the company’.”
“The New York Times issued a report in October, citing corporate and regulatory records that it said showed Wen’s family had amassed massive wealth during his time in power, the biggest source of which it said was large stakes in Ping An.
“On Saturday, it issued a follow-up report, saying that in 1999, Ping An Chairman Ma Mingzhe wrote to Wen – who was vice premier at the time – and another official, imploring them to relax rules aimed at containing risk in the financial sector that would have required a breakup of the company.
“Ping An remained intact, and relatives of Wen eventually came to control Taihong, a company that acquired a large stake in Ping An in December 2002, eight months after the waiver on breaking up the company was granted, the Times said.
“The price paid by Taihong was one-fourth that paid by HSBC Holdings PLC for a stake it bought two months earlier, the Times added.”
“Since its initial report on the wealth of Wen’s family in late October – including documents that showed the premier’s mother had holdings of $120 million worth of Ping An stock in 2007 – the newspaper’s English and Chinese language websites have been blocked in China.”
For details, please visit Reuters website at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/26/us-china-premier-wealth-idUSBRE8AP07F20121126
Police clear woman over stopping Premier Wen Jiabao’s motorcade
Posted: November 24, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: abusive police, China, Chinese politics, corruption, landgrab, Wen Jiabao Comments Off on Police clear woman over stopping Premier Wen Jiabao’s motorcadeSCMP reports: “The police bureau in Zhaotong city, Yunnan province, cleared a woman of wrongdoing for stopping Premier Wen Jiabao’s motorcade in September to petition him about land compensation.
“On Monday, Yiliang county authorities gave Liang Yonglan, 29, seven days of administration detention for disturbing the public order, after kneeling on the road as Wen’s motorcade approached during a tour of the quake-hit area on September 8.
“She was released after her husband paid 1,000 yuan (HK$1,240) in bail, according to an initial report by Caixin News.
“But Zhaotong Public Security Bureau spokesman Li Jie acknowledged that Liang was charged in error.
“The sanction was nullified under a section of the police law that allows police authorities to correct mistakes made by lower-level officials. Zhaotong police released a statement online, saying that its officers decided to act after investigating the case on Wednesday.”
For details, please visit SCMP website at:
Premier Wen shows China’s best face to the world
Posted: November 23, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, Chinese politics, democracy, political reform, soft power, Wen Jiabao Comments Off on Premier Wen shows China’s best face to the world
Premier Wen Jiabao plays baseball with university students in Tokyo
SCMP reports: “The image projected by Premier Wen Jiabao on his many travels abroad, analysts say, fits in with China’s attempts to project its soft power
“When Premier Wen Jiabao went overseas he would often seize the chance to show the personable side of the Chinese leadership to overseas audiences, who sometimes perceive it as stern and rigid.
“In addition to serious business talks and deals, Wen would chat with ordinary citizens and on some occasions delivered remarks considered sensitive that were downplayed by the state media at home.
“In contrast to the serious, stiff look of most Chinese leaders, who appear reluctant to express their personal feelings, Wen, who will step down in March, commonly referred to Chinese idioms and poems, allowing others to get a glimpse of what he thinks.”
“Professor Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political scientist at Hong KongBaptistUniversity, said Wen’s approach was a concerted effort to deliver an image that many overseas people “are happy with China” – at a time when Beijing is becoming increasingly assertive.
“One notable example was when Wen played baseball with students at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto in 2007, on trip aimed at getting Sino-Japanese ties back on track after a visit to Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine the previous year by then Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi. In that game, Wen wore a baseball jersey with the number 35, symbolising the anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic ties. Three years later, Wen was seen jogging in Tokyo’s YoyogiPark. On another trip to Tokyo last year, he even asked popular Japanese boy band SMAP to sing a song to him.
“Visiting Indonesia last year, Wen launched into a version of a traditional Moluccan folk song, ‘Ayo Mama’ (Let’s Go Mama).”-
“He has also raised eyebrows with his calls for political reform. In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in October 2010, Wen said he would advance the restructuring of China’s political system to the full extent of his capabilities. ‘I will not fall despite the strong wind and harsh rain, and I will not yield until the last day of my life,’ Wen said in the interview – a remark that was censored on the mainland.’ He made similar call on his Indonesia trip. And in Britain and Germany last year, when China was criticised for arresting but later releasing outspoken artist Ai Weiwei , Wen pledged that China would uphold democracy.
“‘Without democracy, there is no socialism. Without freedom, there is no real democracy,’ Wen told the Royal Society in London.”
For details, please visit SCMP website at:
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1089542/premier-wen-shows-chinas-best-face-world
Chinese Premier’s First Public Response to New York Times’ Report
Posted: November 22, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, Chinese politics, corruption, honesty and uprightness, Wen Jiabao, Wen Jiabao family wealth Comments Off on Chinese Premier’s First Public Response to New York Times’ ReportAccording to Singtao Daily, Regarding the report earlier that his family has huge wealth, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao quoted Qu Yuan’s Li Sao (the greatest poem by one of the three greatest Chinese poets) “Stick to purity and die for righteousness, For this was what the ancient sages taught.” He quoted that when he met overseas Chinese in Thailand to stress, “For my own purity, I will die in honesty and uprightness even if I die.” Wen also said that he would soon retire to “be away from official life” and “hope people will forget me.”
“Comrades and compatriots, this is the last time I meet so many compatriots in an area where Chinese people converge.” Wen Jiabao said that on November 20 when he visited Thailand after attending the East Asia Summit. He met several hundred oversea Chinese in the evening and mentioned on his own in his speech that he will retire in a few months “from official life”. He said, “I want to express my sincere gratitude through you to the Chinese and overseas Chinese all over the world.”
Regarding the coming end in March of his 10-year tenure as the premier, Wen Jiabao said, “I always feel that there remain quite a lot of things I have not completed and quite a few things I have not done satisfactorily. But we often read silently in our minds the two passages in Qu Yuan’s Li Sao. One is ‘Since such purity is what I love,
I’d not regret a thousand deaths for it.’ The other is ‘Stick to purity and die for righteousness, For this was what the ancient sages taught.” Wen read the verses slowly and repeated ‘Stick to purity and die for righteousness, For this was what the ancient sages taught.’”
“The two passages mean that in pursuing truth, I would not regret even if I have to die a thousand times.” Wen stopped for a while when he had said that. The audience responded with applause. He then said in the tone with profound feeling that he always adopts, “For one’s own purity, one has to die in honesty and uprightness even if one has to die.” The audience responded with thunderous applause again.
In the end, Wen said, “I once said that I have devoted to my country for over 40 years. I hope people, including Chinese and overseas Chinese, will forget me. However, I will never forget my motherland and people, never forget millions of overseas Chinese.”
First Public Response to New York Times’ Report
The above was the first time Wen Jiabao claimed his purity and indirectly denied New York Times’ report in public since US New York Times published a report on Wen’s Family having huge hidden wealth on October 26. Chinese official media have not reported the content of Wen’s speech when he met overseas Chinese. Only Thai Chinese media such as www.thaicn.com reported that with video footages of the speech.
On October 26, New York Times published a front-page report on Wen’s family’s huge wealth worth more than US$2.7 billion including his 90-year mother’s shares in Pinan Insurance worth US$120 million in 2007.
Wen’s family issued through their lawyers a public “Authorized Statement”, stressing that there was no so-called “hidden wealth” and his mother has no property at all, that Wen’s family members are not engaged in any illegal business activities nor hold any share in any company and that they reserve the right to hold New York Times legally liable.
China: Farmer arrested for kneeling in front of Premier’ car
Posted: November 21, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, Chinese politics, land grab, petitioners blocking Wen’s motorcade, Wen Jiabao Comments Off on China: Farmer arrested for kneeling in front of Premier’ carSCMP reports: “A farmer in China’s southwestern Yunnan province was arrested on Monday after she knelt in front of Premier Wen Jiabao’s motorcade when it visited the area in September.
“Liang Yonglan, 29, was released on Tuesday after her husband paid 1,000 yuan in bail, China’s Caixin magazine reported on its Web site Wednesday.
“Liang and a dozen local farmers gathered at an intersection at Fajie village in Yiliang county early on September 8. Some of them knelt when Wen’s car approached.
“The premier got out of his vehicle and met Liang and three other farmers. During a conversation lasting about three minutes, the farmers discussed local land seizures with Wen. They asked for more government compensation for their land, said Liang.
“Wen had said he would ask officials to look into the matter, recalled Liang’s husband, Hu Jifei, who was among the four farmers who spoke to Wen.
“The premier also told officials that farmers should not be stopped from expressing their opinions, Hu said.”
For details, please visit SCMP website at:
Wen Jiabao determined to bow out fighting
Posted: November 10, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, Chinese politics, democracy, political reform, rule of law, Wen Jiabao Comments Off on Wen Jiabao determined to bow out fightingSCMP reports: “Premier Wen Jiabao has made a final push for political reform before giving up his party leadership post, urging his successors to revive long-stalled efforts to develop democracy and promote the rule of law.
“‘[The party] should make a particular effort to promote the reform of the leadership system of the party and the country, develop democracy, optimise the legal system and realise the rule of law,’ Wen told the Tianjin delegation at the 18th party congress on Thursday, which Xinhua reported yesterday.
“The premier listed political reform, anti-corruption efforts and improving the people’s livelihood as the three most critical issues facing the country. He said incoming party leaders would have to deal with them all in the next five years and beyond.
“‘China faces quite a lot of problems, especially the arduous tasks of reform and development,’ Wen said. ‘But I think the issues I mentioned are of great significance and pressing.’”
For details, please visit SCMP website at:
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1079036/wen-jiabao-determined-bow-out-fighting
China: Wen Jiabao calls for party probe into ‘hidden fortune’
Posted: November 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, Chinese politics, corruption, hidden wealth, New York Times, NYT, power struggle, sunshine law, Wen Jiabao Comments Off on China: Wen Jiabao calls for party probe into ‘hidden fortune’SCMP reports: “Premier requests top-level inquiry into claims of US$2.7b assets and is reported to be pushing for long-overdue ‘sunshine law’ to be put into effect
“The communist party leadership has launched a probe into the alleged family wealth of Wen Jiabao at the premier’s request, according to sources.
“In a letter submitted to the Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s top decision-making body of which the premier is also a member, Wen asked for a formal inquiry into claims made by The New York Times.”
“According to the sources, several conservative party elders known to dislike the premier’s more liberal stance have urged him to provide detailed explanations on all the major allegations in the Times report, especially on the Ping An holdings.
“Businesswoman Duan Weihong, whose company Taihong was described by the Times as the investment vehicle for the Wen family, told the newspaper she used the names of Wen’s relatives to register the ownership of the Ping An shares.
“The party elders argued that this process, which would require registering their official ID numbers and obtaining their signatures, raised immediate questions about how Duan could obtain such personal details without consent from the Wen family.
“Wen’s wife and his son have been plagued by corruption allegations for years.
“But the family issued a statement, through two lawyers, for the first time on October 27, hitting back at the Times allegations about their ‘hidden riches’ and threatening legal action.
“It is unclear whether the family will publish further clarifications or go to the courts.”
“According to their reports, Wen had seized the opportunity to demand that a long-overdue ‘sunshine law’ – which would require a public declaration of family assets by senior leaders – be finally put into effect.
“He also said he would be happy to make public his family’s assets.
“This would appear to be more than just an attempt by the image-conscious outgoing premier to defend his name, analysts say.”
For details, please visit SCMP website at:
China’s painful past displayed under political shadow
Posted: November 3, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bo Xilai, China, Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong, Red Guards, Wen Jiabao 1 CommentSCMP carries AFP report in Chengdu: “A group of museums commemorating China’s violent Cultural Revolution is opening up normally tightly controlled discussion of the chaotic era — but only up to a point.
“Businessman Fan Jianchuan has opened six museums about the ten year period beginning in 1966 when China’s then-leader Mao Zedong called on ordinary citizens to struggle against entrenched interest groups — including government officials.
“The 55-year-old says he’s filled six warehouses with artifacts from the period, when young people formed often violent “Red Guard” groups and those labelled as ‘capitalist roaders’ were publicly tortured at mass rallies.
“‘I see myself as an archaeologist of the Cultural Revolution,’ Fan, a former government official who made a fortune as a real estate developer, said in his museum office in the southwestern city of Chengdu.
“But what he calls ‘political sensitivity’ has meant that he keeps the vast majority of his collection hidden from view.
“‘What I have on display is barely five per cent of what I’ve collected,’ said Fan, who plans to open a seventh museum on the era next year.
“The ruling Communist Party keeps detailed discussion of the Cultural Revolution out of mainstream Chinese media, worried that an open debate could be used to justify unrest and also undermine its official history of a period it refers to as a ‘serious setback’ for the party.
“Mao Zedong set the period of lawlessness in motion to boost his authority, previously undermined by the disastrous effort to modernize China known as the ‘Great Leap Forward,’ which led to a famine that killed millions in the late 1950s.
“China has never stated estimates of how many died in the decade of political campaigns, which saw citizens turning on their neighbours and caused half a million deaths in 1967 alone, according to US historian Roderick MacFarquhar.
“The spectacular downfall this year of Bo Xilai — former party boss of the southwestern megacity of Chongqing, who is set to face trial for corruption and other crimes — has thrust the Cultural Revolution into the spotlight.
“Bo’s revival of ‘Red culture,’ which saw Maoist quotes sent to citizens’ mobile phones and massive ‘Red song’ concerts, along with his charismatic leadership style, reminded many party insiders of Mao’s excesses.
“China’s Premier Wen Jiabao — lawyers for whom this week rejected a New York Times report on the wealth of his family members — hit out at Bo’s administration in March, when he also called the period ‘a historical tragedy.’”
For details, please visit SCMP website at:
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1074874/chinas-painful-past-displayed-under-political-shadow
Websites often critical of Beijing challenge NYT report on Wen Jiabao
Posted: November 2, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Boxun, China, Chinese politics, Duowei, Mingjing, New York Times, power struggle, Wen Jiabao, Wen Jiabao’s family Comments Off on Websites often critical of Beijing challenge NYT report on Wen JiabaoSCMP says in its report titled “Web sites often critical of Beijing challenge report on Wen Jiabao’s family wealth”, “Independent media based in free democracies are usually quick to jump on sensational scandals involving political leaders.
“But some overseas Chinese media took a very different approach to a recent report targeting the family of Premier Wen Jiabao. Instead of playing up a lengthy investigative report in The New York Times last Friday that exposed the family’s wealth, they carried items casting doubt on the report and voicing support for Wen, who will step down as premier in March.
“The news websites of US-based Boxun, Mingjing and Duowei, all popular among overseas Chinese, published reports and commentaries defending Wen’s family against allegations that they accumulated a vast fortune. However, they are generally critical of the mainland’s authoritarian regime.
“The New York Times said members of Wen’s family, including his mother, wife and two children, controlled at least US$2.7 billion worth of assets, accumulated during Wen’s time in office. Several overseas websites, including Boxun, reported that some overseas media had received ‘detailed’ information about Wen, triggering concerns there could be a conspiracy to undermine him.”
For details, please visit SCMP website at:
Wen’s Son Authorized Refuting NYT, Further Actions Considered
Posted: October 30, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, Chinese politics, Hong Lei, New York Times, NYT, report on Wen family’s wealth, Wang Weidong, Wen Jiabao 27 CommentsAccording to Ming Pao, Lawyer Wang Weidong who represented Wen Jiabao’s family to refute New York Times (NYT) report on the family’s wealth revealed to Ming Pao that they issued the statement with Wen Jiabao’s son’s authorization. Some Beijing lawyers believe that the statement aims at expressing the family’s attitude and there is relatively low possibility of actual lawsuit against NYT.
Wang Weidong confirmed yesterday that he issued the statement after he was authorized by Wen Yunsong. He said that the two lawyers are still reading NYT’s long report. He said, “They have said many things” and that he may issue one more statement if necessary. At the question whether they will sue NYT, Wang said, “It is hard to tell,” and refused to reveal the details. When Wang was interviewed by Wall Street Journal, he also said that consideration is being made on further actions.
The other lawyer Bai Tao has so far given no response to Ming Pao’s e-mail queries.
Hong Lei, spokesman of Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed for the first time yesterday that Wen Jiabao’s family had issued a statement through their lawyers. He said that the Chinese Communist Party has led Chinese people to “obtain glorious achievements”, but there have always some influential people in the world who are unhappy to see China grow stronger and “try any means to smear China and Chinese leaders” in order to sow instability in China.
He said that such schemes were doomed to failure and the Party, government and people will “surmont any interference and steadfastly and bravely march forward on their road of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”
Chinese official media published articles of counterattack against NYT. A signed article on people.com.cn listed NYT’s scandals over the past few years such as plagiary and trainee reporter passing for full-time reporter. The article also quoted an NYT’s loyal reader’s words pointing out that NYT was not trustworthy as it had become a propaganda tool of the government and some consortiums. However, they all said nothing at all about the report of Wen family’s wealth and NYT’s websites remain blocked.
In response to Chinese side’s denouncement, NYT said the day before yesterday that the report on Wen family’s wealth is an example of the paper’s quality investigative journalism and “We are standing by our story”.
There is rumor that foreign media in Beijing have received a very thick report from NYT, giving detailed information about Wen family including their names and investment that has even been certified by some audit institutions. However the reporters stationed in China from quite a few foreign media including Dong Fang of the Voice of America all said they have not received such reports.
Tiananmen's Tremendous Achievements 