NYT report on Wen Jiabao’s wealth ‘to reach millions of Chinese’ despite censorship

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London, Oct 27: The explosive New York Times report on the massive wealth accumulated by the family of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is still likely to reach tens of millions of people in the country, despite the government’s decision to block the websites of the American media firm.

The newspaper had revealed that relatives of the government’s number two, a self-styled man of the people known popularly as “Grandpa Wen”, had become ‘extraordinarily wealthy’ during his tenure.

The paper said that investments by Wen’s son, wife and others spanning the banking, jewellery and telecom sectors were worth at least 2.7 billion dollars according to an analysis regulatory filings from 1992-2012.

State-run newspapers made no mention of the scandal, and China’s army of censors ensured that searches for The New York Times or other related terms returned no results on social networks and search engines.

The Telegraph, quoted seasoned China watcher Willy Lam, as saying that ‘only a small proportion will be aware of the story.’

He, however, estimated that about ten percent of China’s 500-million-strong online population would still manage to evade the censors.

“The NYT story will hurt Wen Jiabao… his reputation will be adversely affected,” he explained, adding that many Chinese had become very cynical about the wealth accumulated by those near the centres of power.

“Most Chinese just assume that the top leaders are corrupt,” he added.

According to the paper, the revelations come as a particular embarrassment for Wen, who is the standard-bearer of the Communist Party’s reformist wing and has campaigned against corruption. (ANI)