[Unattributed report: "Wan Li's Family Member Denies Wan Li Has Made the Political Reform Talk Recently"]

Referring to the article appearing on the Internet recently entitled "A Veteran Comrade's Talk on the Eve of the 60th National Day: The Ruling Party Should Establish Its Basic Political Ethics," a family member of Wan Li, former chairman of the National People's Congress, has denied that the talk was made by Wan Li. This family member said that Wan Li, now 92, did not make such a talk. According to this family member, Wan Li has been hospitalized three times this year since the Spring Festival. But when Deng Xiaoping's widow Zhuo Lin passed away, he could still visit the Dengs personally to express condolences on 31 July. At the time of the 4 June incident in 1989, Wan Li was under house arrest. He was one of the major initiators of China's economic reform. A popular saying once prevailing among people was "if you want grain, ask Ziyang; if you want rice, ask Wan Li," which put Wan Li on a par with Zhao Ziyang as one of the most important contributors to China's reform and opening up.

The article on the Internet was reportedly written by a professor at the Central Party School on the basis of Wan Li's talk on four occasions. It touches on a series of questions, including "the political party law," the revision of the Party Constitution, intra-party democracy, and political ethics. The article contains about 8,000 words. This family member told an inquirer that after reading the article, he was sure that Wan Li had not made such a talk. According to this family member, Wan Li has lost his hearing, and communications with him have to be in writing. Wan Li once fell on the ground this year, and he has stayed in the Beijing Hospital three times since the Spring Festival. He hates to be hospitalized, so after staying in the hospital for a short time, he would insist that he be discharged from the hospital. After Zhuo Lin passed away on 29 July, Wan Li's son Wan Boao and daughter Wan Zi went to the Dengs to express condolences the next day, 30 July. On 31 July, Wan Li went to the Dengs to express condolences, accompanied by another son, Wan Jifei. Wan Li, who will turn 93 on 1 December this year, has four sons and one daughter. They are Wan Boao, Wan Zhongxiang, Wan Shupeng (also named Wan Zi), Wan Jifei, and Wan Xiaowu. Their names contain the words Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji, Ao, Xiang, Peng, and Fei. The fifth son's name is a homonym for "Xiao Wu" [meaning the little fifth]. Wan Li, a native of Shandong, assumed the post of minister of railways in 1975 and pushed the reform of the railway system. In 1977, he became secretary of the Anhui Provincial CCP Committee and carried out the policy of "fixing output quota for individual households." During that period prevailed the saying "if you want grain, ask Ziyang; if you want rice, ask Wan Li." At the time of the 4 June incident, Wan Li was on an overseas trip. When he came back, he was put under house arrest in Shanghai.

Of Wan Li's children, the fourth son Wan Jifei is rather famous. Presently, he is chairman of the "China Council for Promotion of International Trade." He has a good relationship with North Korean leaders and is one of the few Chinese who has met with Kim Jong-un, the third son of Kim Jong Il [Kim Cho'ng-il]. His daughter, Wan Bao-bao, is active in Hong Kong's entertainment circle.

(I have put the so-called talk on our website) [this parenthesized note as published]

Source: Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Hong Kong, in Chinese 19 Aug 09