On March 27, photos of former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao appearing in public in Beijing circulated online, and as of today, March 29, a video of his appearance has surfaced, although there has been no official confirmation.
On March 29, a video of Wen Jiabao appearing at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing has been widely shared on overseas platforms. The video shows Wen Jiabao, visibly aged with white hair, looking spirited. He was seen walking, smiling, waving to the public, accompanied by several men who appeared to be bodyguards and officials, while a group behind him captured the scene on their phones.
Wen Jiabao graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Beijing Institute of Geology (now China University of Geosciences) and worked for 17 years at the Gansu Geological Bureau and the National Geological Administration between 1968 and 1985.
Media personality Zuo Tengpeng commented that it seems Wen Jiabao, after retirement, has returned to his old profession, indicating that his frequent public appearances suggest he is not restricted in his actions within the Chinese Communist Party.
Some internet users pointed out that Wen Jiabao still receives national-level retirement benefits during his outings, with official military vehicles from the Central Military Commission (formerly the General Staff Department) escorting him, along with standard red flag decorations.
The day before, many netizens on the platform X reposted photos of Wen Jiabao’s public appearance. However, official sources have not confirmed the news of Wen Jiabao’s appearance. His visit to the Chinese Academy of Sciences University could not be found on the official website, and the purpose of his visit remains unclear.
On September 3 of last year, the Chinese authorities held a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, where Wen Jiabao attended, while Hu Jintao was absent.
On February 17 of this year, an account named “Follower of Premier Wen” on X platform posted a 2026 Chinese New Year greeting card featuring Wen Jiabao. The card, following traditional Chinese format, was written vertically from right to left and addressed to Liu Yachun, Principal of Beichuan Middle School.
Commentator Cai Shunkun also shared the New Year card and stated that Wen Jiabao is one of the few prominent figures worth commemorating at the national-level since the 1980s. Having experienced the hardships of the Cultural Revolution and witnessed the rise and fall of reform and opening up in China, Wen Jiabao exhibits a clear understanding of the country’s future direction.
As early as 2013, Cai Shunkun wrote that during his tenure, Wen Jiabao openly discussed political system reforms and warned against possible regressions in the future.
Wen Jiabao is considered a reformist within the Chinese Communist Party. On March 14, 2012, during his final press conference while in office, he cautioned that without successful political system reforms, economic system reforms would not be completed, achievements could be lost, new societal issues would not be fundamentally resolved, and historical tragedies like the Cultural Revolution could recur.