Wen Jiabao - Personal Life and Family Wealth

Personal Life and Family Wealth

Wen Jiabao is married to Zhang Peili, whom he met while working as a government geologist in Gansu Province. Zhang is a jewellery expert and has played a prominent role in the nation’s diamond trade. She rarely appears with Wen in public. According to a U.S. diplomatic cable posted in Wikileaks, Wen has considered divorcing his wife due to being "disgusted" by how she has used his name to extract huge commissions in the diamond trade. They have a son, Wen Yunsong, who is CEO of Unihub, a Chinese networking company. The daughter, Wen Ruchun, held shares of a Chinese jewelry company called Gallop. His mother Yang Zhiyun (also known as Yang Xiu’an) owns an investments in Ping An Insurance worth $120 million. In October 2012, The New York Times reported that Wen's relatives have controlled financial assets worth at least US$2.7 billion during his time as Premier. In response, a Chinese government spokesman stated that the report "blackens China's name and has ulterior motives", and the websites of The New York Times were censored in mainland China. Lawyers representing Wen's family also denied the report's content. Wen personally wrote a letter submitted to the Politburo Standing Committee asking for an investigation to the claim and willing to make his family asset public. Professor Zhu Lijia, of the Chinese Academy of Governance, suggest that this is Wen's last try to push the passing of the "Sunshine" law, which require government officials to release their financial information to public. Professor Jean-Pierre Cabestan of Hong Kong's Baptist University questioned the timing of the report and suggested "It looks very much some people close to Bo Xilai are trying to throw mud at the reformists".

Wen is said to have an introverted personality. He has stated that his one regret so far in life was "Never having learned to drive a manual car." Wen is known for his adept use of Chinese poetry to convey political and diplomatic messages, to respond to journalists, or simply to begin a speech.