The Official Denials Have Begun In Wen Jiabao vs. New York Times

The lawyers for the Wen Jiabao family issued an official statement yesterday regarding the New York Times’s recent piece that got the website harmonized inside China. It’s “a rare instance of a powerful Chinese political family responding directly to a foreign media report,” NY Times reports. But the lawyers, while trying to deny everything, actually deny nothing. Read the translated statement closely, as brought to you by SCMP:

Authorized Statement

Entrusted by the family members of Wen Jiabao, we hereby issue a statement regarding the New York Times’ untrue report about Wen Jiabao and his relatives:

I. The so-called “hidden riches” of Wen Jiabao’s family members in the New York Times’ report does not exist.

II. Some of Wen Jiabao’s family members have not engaged in business activities. Some were engaged in business activities, but they did not carry out any illegal business activity. They do not hold shares of any companies.

III. The mother of Wen Jiabao, except receiving salary/pension according to the regulation, has never had any income or property.

IV. Wen Jiabao has never played any role in the business activities of his family members, still less has he allowed his family members’ business activities to have any influence on his formulation and execution of policies.

V. Other relatives of Wen Jiabao and the “friends” and “colleagues” of those relative are responsible for all their own business activities.

VI. We will continue to make clarifications regarding untrue reports by the New York Times, and reserve the right to hold it legally responsible.

BAI Tao
Jun He Law Offices

WANG Weidong
Grandall Law Firm (Beijing)

October 27, 2012

We’d like to offer a translation of the translation:

I. Of course they don’t exist. They’re right out in the fucking open!

II. Some of Wen Jiabao’s family members don’t do business. These “some” — who don’t do business, or did you not hear us the first time? — do not hold shares of any companies. Allow us to quote someone who speaks at your level, so that you understand: “Can I make it any more obvious?” –Avril Lavigne

III. Wen Jiabao’s mother is a freeloader whose only good deed in life is giving birth to Wen Jiabao. That woman is a saint.

IV. Wen Jiabao is awesome.

V. Some of Wen Jiabao’s family and friends do business. Wen Jiabao does not speak, interact, or otherwise think about them. What, you think he has that kind of time?

VI. Go kill yourselves, you fucking Western media ingrates.

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