Wen Jiabao

Who is he: Wen Jiabao is China's current Premiere and Party Secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Jiabao is known for his non-didactic persona, believing that the Chinese Communist Party should continue forward with a market-based approach to Chinese progress.

Wen Jiabao is considered by Western observers to be one of the most Westernized of Chinese Party members. Under his influence China has continued with market-based reforms and his rhetoric – as evidenced in various speeches – sounds reminiscent of the kind of approaches a Eurozone politician might take.

Jiabao is focused on such economic trends as green growth and smart growth, indicating that the Chinese way forward has a lot in common with European – and increasingly American – state policies. Jiabao is apparently at the end of his term in power, however, and it is not clear how much clout he will have in the near future. Some say that his high profile is directly related to his intention to leave a rhetorical legacy that Chinese reformers may follow if they wish.

Background: Wen Jiabao is an ethnic Han, born in September 1942. Jiabao is a native of Tianjin and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in April 1965. He graduated from the Beijing Institute of Geology, majoring in geological structure. Jiabao has postgraduate education as an engineer.

From 1968-1978 Jiabao was a technician and political instructor of the Geomechanics Team under Gansu Provincial Geological Bureau and head of its political section. From 1978-1979 he was a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee of the Geomechanics Team under Gansu Provincial Geological Bureau and deputy head of the team.

Jiabao also served as an alternate member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC and finally as secretary of the Financial Work Committee of the CPC Central Committee

Today Jiabao's bureaucratic involvement in the Party includes being a member of the 13th through 17th CPC Central Committees; alternate member of the Secretariat of the 13th CPC Central Committee; alternate member of the Political Bureau of the 14th CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the 14th CPC Central Committee; member of the Political Bureau of the 15th CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the 15th CPC Central Committee.

Wen Jiabao is a member and Standing Committee member of the Political Bureaus of the 16th and 17th CPC Central Committees.

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