Wen quotes ancient poet to assert his integrity after wealth claim

Premier Wen Jiabao has used one of his last overseas trips before he steps down to assert his innocence after allegations about his family's "hidden wealth", saying he valued personal integrity more than his life.

In what analysts described as Wen's first public remarks on claims made by The New York Times last month, the premier quoted verses from one of China's most famous ancient poets, Qu Yuan, something he has repeatedly used to impress the public during his decade-long tenure.

"For the ideal that I hold dear to my heart, I'd not regret a thousand times to die," he told members of the Chinese community in Bangkok on Tuesday night, China News Service reported.

"For the pursuit of my innocence, I would die with honesty and integrity," he said, paraphrasing the verses. Wen said: "I want to tell everyone that I am going to retire in just a few months' time and lead a life in seclusion." The Beijing-based historian Zhang Lifan said Wen's remarks could be seen as his parting message before going into full retirement next year. "As a premier who famously cares about his reputation and his own place in history, I think Wen is trying to say loud and clear that he is innocent and all those allegations against him or his family are biased and misleading," Zhang said

Zhang said Wen was confident that he had been wrongly accused and wanted to voice his frustration about becoming the main target of criticism from Communist Party conservatives and leftists opposed to his high-profile appeals for bolder political and economic reform.

Professor Yuan Weishi, a historian at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, said Wen had reportedly demanded a central government probe into claims by the US newspaper in a report on October 26 which challenged the premier's "clean" image. Wen's family issued a legal statement a day after the report, denying allegations that his family had amassed at least US$2.7 billion of assets during his premiership.