China’s ruling Communist Party has launched an inquiry into the alleged wealth of Premier Wen Jiabao’s family at his own request, a report said Monday. Citing sources, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) said Wen had written to the Politburo Standing Committee – the country’s highest policy-making body, of which he is a member – formally asking for the probe.
It comes after the New York Times reported that Wen’s family had accumulated at least $2.7 billion in assets in various sectors, according to an analysis of company and regulatory filings from 1992-2012. The report on Wen’s letter and the inquiry is unusual. The communist party normally ensures that its internal affairs are covered by a strict veil of secrecy.