Direct translation
Wen Jiabao makes a sudden appearance! Is he showing off to Xi?
—Wen Jiabao's sudden public appearance is unusual; multiple interpretations suggest underlying signals.
Reporter : Wang Duran / Editor: Fang Xun / Source: Aboluowang/NTDTV / https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0401/2366774.html / Image : On 27 March 2026, photos of former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao appearing in Beijing went viral online, drawing widespread attention. (X Platform)

A replay of a scene from ten years ago? Wen Jiabao's appearance this time is highly unusual.
Apollo News reporter Wang Duren reports: Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao made a high-profile appearance at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, on an unknown date. Related photos and videos circulated on the X platform on March 27 and 29. The crowd of onlookers appeared to have been pre-arranged, and the "photos first, then videos" dissemination pattern suggests an organized information release rather than a chance encounter.
The focus of the video is not only on Wen Jiabao himself, but also on the unusual details surrounding his entourage. Bai Chunli, Ding Zhongli, Liu Weiping, and others appeared in the footage—Bai Chunli stepped down as president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2020, and Ding Zhongli became vice chairman of the National People's Congress in 2021, no longer actively involved in frontline work.
Commentator "Jin Tao Pai An" wrote in *Kan Zhongguo* that this lineup highly overlaps with the entourage accompanying Wen Jiabao during his lecture at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences on September 27, 2016. Public footage from that time also showed Bai Chunli and Ding Zhongli present. This raises the crucial question: Is this a new appearance, or is old footage being repackaged and re-released?
"Jin Tao Pai An" believes the video is likely authentic, but may not represent the "complete scene," and the possibility of splicing together old footage cannot be ruled out. Aboluowang News commentator Wang Duran believes this suspicion is "partially reasonable," but Wen Jiabao appears noticeably older in the current footage.
Another focus is the license plates. In the video, Wen Jiabao almost gets into the wrong car; the license plates of the second and fourth cars both begin with "VA," suggesting they belong to the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, not the Central Security Bureau under Xi Jinping's control. American commentator Tang Jingyuan judged that this anomaly may reflect a power rift within the CCP's top leadership, or even a confrontation between "two central authorities."
However, Zhang Tianliang offered a different perspective: the Central Security Bureau itself is "one institution with three names," encompassing the Security Bureau of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, the Security Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, and the Ninth Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. In other words, this system spans the Party, military, and government systems. Therefore, the appearance of the "VA" military license plate vehicle is not necessarily unusual and cannot be taken as direct evidence of a power split.
Therefore, the true significance of Wen Jiabao's appearance this time is not merely the "appearance" itself, but rather what message he intends to convey to the outside world.
Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao recently inspected the Institute of Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. News of this was censored domestically, but photos and videos appeared first on overseas social media platforms. Wen Jiabao's appearance in Beijing sparked heated discussions overseas. Why do his every move attract so much attention abroad? Is Wen Jiabao's appearance a denial or a challenge to Xi Jinping?
On 27 March 2026, photos of Wen Jiabao's public appearance in Beijing circulated widely overseas, and by the 29th, videos of the scene had surfaced. Wen Jiabao appeared visibly aged, his thinning hair graying, yet his spirit remained high. He waved and clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd who shouted "Hello, Premier!"
Since Xi Jinping came to power, he has explicitly prohibited retired officials from "criticizing the central government." Retired Standing Committee members face strict restrictions on leaving their homes, requiring approval from Cai Qi, Director of the General Office of the Central Committee. In recent years, it has been rare for the outside world to see retired central leaders in public. Wen Jiabao's appearance is considered highly unusual.
Independent commentator Cai Shenkun stated on X that Wen Jiabao's public appearance can be seen as a way of dispelling rumors.
He mentioned that recently, someone had been sending him numerous emails claiming that Wen Jiabao and his family were under house arrest, requesting that he forward a tens of thousands of words urgent appeal on X, mainly concerning Wen Jiabao's public opposition to Xi Jinping's military unification of Taiwan, which he claimed resulted in Xi's retaliation and house arrest. However, he believes that given Wen Jiabao's past experience and political wisdom, he wouldn't have fallen to such a state. Information he received from friends in Beijing contradicts this claim.
Following Wen Jiabao's public appearance, an unnamed source sent an article to The Epoch Times' email address, stating: "Our previous revelations that Xi Jinping attempted to use the US to attack Iran in order to militarily unify Taiwan, and that he had placed Wen Jiabao's entire family under house arrest for this purpose, have already forced Xi Jinping to have the General Office of the Central Committee arrange for Wen Jiabao to appear. This shows that the revelations have been effective and have already influenced the political situation in China."
The article also mentioned that since the Tiananmen Square tragedy of 1989, Wen Jiabao is the only high-ranking CCP leader who still insists on political reform within the CCP, desires to redress the June Fourth Incident, and prevents a recurrence of the Cultural Revolution in China. The Epoch Times could not verify the veracity of this revelation.
U.S.-based scholar Wu Zuolai posted: "The old man was forced out by rumours to bask in the spring sunshine. Not only has Wen Jiabao been under house arrest, but other former Standing Committee members are the same. They have to apply to Cai Qi and report before they can leave the house. The stated reason is that for security reasons, they are under first-level security, and they get the green light wherever they go. Back then, when a former Standing Committee member came to our library to look up some information, he was also under second-level security."
An article by Andre published on RFI's Chinese website points out that Wen Jiabao's public appearance has attracted attention and is closely related to the current political atmosphere. With the party and the military undergoing purges, even high-ranking officials like Zhang Youxia have fallen from grace, and Politburo member Ma Xingrui has disappeared without a trace. His (Wen Jiabao's) sudden appearance inevitably raises questions about what signal he is sending.
Renowned commentator Tang Jingyuan analyzed for NTD that Xi Jinping's recent appearance in Xiong'an New Area is a way of making his presence felt. Wen Jiabao's high-profile inspection of the Institute of Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was not merely to dispel rumors of his "house arrest," but also carried the implication of a power struggle with Xi Jinping.
He believes that the release of photos and videos of Wen Jiabao's visit, followed by his waving to the crowds immediately upon leaving the institute, appears pre-arranged and carries a clear propaganda element. Logically, under Xi Jinping's leadership, such a high-profile appearance by a veteran like Wen Jiabao should not be permitted, "indicating that Xi Jinping has no control over Wen Jiabao at all."
Netizens noted that Wen Jiabao's trip was escorted by military vehicles with "VA license plates" from the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission.
Tang Jingyuan analyzes that with Zhang Youxia's recent incident, the CCP has split into two central leaderships: one led by Xi Jinping, and the other by Wen Jiabao and others, including Liu Yuan. He believes that Wen Jiabao's security was provided by the military system, specifically personnel from the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, not the Central Security Bureau.
Why did Wen Jiabao's appearance attract international attention? Political commentator Li Linyi stated that the exact reasons for Wen Jiabao's sudden public appearance at this time remain unclear. His appearance was censored domestically, but videos and photos circulated overseas, suggesting manipulation behind the scenes and a political undertone. The international buzz surrounding his appearance stems not only from potential unusual power struggles but also from his perceived role as a party elder with remaining conscience and the potential to influence China's reforms, especially after the arrest of Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission.
On the eve of his resignation as Premier in 2012, Wen Jiabao stated at a press conference that without political reform, the historical tragedy of the Cultural Revolution could repeat itself. Some observers, comparing this statement to Xi Jinping's current rule, have called it a "precise prediction."
Of course, the political situation during the Hu-Wen era was not entirely transparent either, but many observers point out that compared to today, censorship was relatively loose, and civil society was more active, with the emergence of numerous human rights lawyers representing the vulnerable and those who have suffered injustice. This all came to an end during Xi Jinping's presidency, with the 2015 crackdown on human rights lawyers.
A video of Wen Jiabao's interview with CNN during his 2010 trip to New York for the UN General Assembly has recently gone viral. The video shows Wen discussing internet censorship, defending the authorities while acknowledging the necessity of freedom of speech in any country. Wen also pointedly remarked, "I believe the people's pursuit and need for democracy and freedom is unstoppable, and I hope you can gradually see China's continuous progress."
Li Linyi stated that with Xi Jinping's continued strengthening of authoritarian control, Wen Jiabao's situation is not easy, and he may not even intend to exert influence. The outside world should not place too much hope on him. In fact, things may not go as planned, and the changes in China may have other arrangements.
—Original Title: Why did Wen Jiabao's appearance in Beijing spark heated discussions overseas?




