Wen Jiabao

Wen Jiabao
温家宝
Wen in 2012
Premier of China
In office 16 March 2003 – 14 March 2013
President	Hu Jintao
Vice Premier	Cabinet I (2003–08) Huang Ju Wu Yi Zeng Peiyan Hui Liangyu Cabinet II (2008–13) Li Keqiang Hui Liangyu Zhang Dejiang Wang Qishan
Preceded by	Zhu Rongji
Succeeded by	Li Keqiang
Vice Premier of China
In office 18 March 1998 – 14 March 2003 Serving with Li Lanqing, Qian Qichen, Wu Bangguo
Premier	Zhu Rongji
Preceded by	Li Lanqing
Succeeded by	Hui Liangyu
Director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party
In office April 1986 – March 1993
General Secretary	Hu Yaobang Zhao Ziyang Jiang Zemin
Preceded by	Wang Zhaoguo
Succeeded by	Zeng Qinghong
Personal details
Born	(1942-09-15) 15 September 1942 (age 82) Tiensin, China
Political party	Chinese Communist Party (1965–Present)
Spouse	Zhang Peili
Children	2
Alma mater	China University of Geosciences (BS, MS)
Signature
Wen Jiabao's voice Wen speaking to the press before a bilateral meeting with US president Barack Obama in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Recorded 20 November 2012
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	温家宝
Traditional Chinese	溫家寶
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Wēn Jiābǎo Wade–Giles Wen1 Chia1-pao3 IPA [wə́n tɕjá.pàʊ] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Wān Gāa-bóu Jyutping Wan1 Gaa1-bou2 IPA [wɐn˥ ka˥.pɔw˧˥] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Un Ka-pó

Wen Jiabao (Chinese: 温家宝; pinyin: Wēn Jiābǎo; born 15 September 1942) is a Chinese retired politician who served as the premier of China from 2003 to 2013. In his capacity as head of government, Wen was regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy. From 2002 to 2012, he held membership in the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the country's de facto top power organ, where he was ranked third out of nine members and after general secretary Hu Jintao and Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

He worked as the director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party between 1986 and 1993, and accompanied Party general secretary Zhao Ziyang as Zhao's personal secretary to Tiananmen Square during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, where Zhao called on protesting students to leave the square and after which Zhao was removed from his position within the Party. In 1998, Wen was promoted to the post of Vice Premier under Premier Zhu Rongji, his mentor, and oversaw the broad portfolios of agriculture and finance.

Wen was dubbed "the people's premier" by both domestic and foreign media.^[1] Instead of concentrating on GDP growth in large cities and rich coastal areas, Wen advocated for advancing policies considered more favorable towards farmers and migrant workers. Wen's government reduced agricultural taxes and pursued ambitious infrastructure projects. Following the global financial crisis of 2008, Wen's government injected four trillion yuan into the economy as part of a stimulus program.

Seen as the leading member of the reform wing of the Communist Party, Wen's family came under scrutiny by investigative journalists for having accumulated a massive fortune during his time in government, casting a cloud over his legacy shortly prior to his retirement.^[2][3][4] He left office in 2013 and was succeeded by Li Keqiang.