CHINA: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao becomes the 10th most popular politician on the Facebook social networking site

Record ID: 858143

  • Title: CHINA: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao becomes the 10th most popular politician on the Facebook social networking site
  • Date: 28th May 2008
  • Summary: FAMILY WALKING IN THE STREET
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • City:
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVAC3JK5LBHCTFT5AUQ42LQQSFQ1
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  • Story Text: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, hugely popular at home for his visits to quake-hit Sichuan, has emerged as the 10th most popular politician on the Facebook social networking site.
    His Facebook page says he had 20,136 supporters as of Tuesday (May 27), most of whom signed up after the earthquake that killed more than 68,000 people.
    On Thursday afternoon (May 29), the number of supporters was growing fast, and had passed 21,000.
    Wen flew to the site hours after the quake, clambering over shattered buildings and tearfully comforting weeping children.
    Since becoming premier in 2003, "Grandpa Wen" has honed a role as a gentle spoken man focused on solving the country's social ills.
    He has spent Lunar New Year holidays down a coal mine and in an AIDS-stricken village, vowed to retrieve migrant workers' unpaid wages, and this year he flew into areas paralysed by severe winter storms to take personal responsibility. He was welcomed with cheers and applause by locals.
    It was not clear whether the Facebook page was set up by Wen himself, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said he had not heard of the site when asked to comment at a regular news conference on Thursday.
    Qin said he thought the journalist's question about Wen's popularity seemed related to China's quake relief efforts.
    "We hope that through seeing how the Chinese government and the Chinese people put their efforts in together to rescue people and to overcome the earthquake, the international community can have a better understanding of the Chinese government, the Chinese leader and the Chinese people," he said.
    In the Facebook photo album called "Wenchuan Earthquake", Wen is seen in a black jacket, addressing a crowd in the quake zone.
    "He is a good premier and should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize," a girl called Violette Qin from Switzerland wrote in a comment under the photo.
    "He should be the role model for every politician ... Keep up the good work, the people need you," a man called Wilson Lee wrote.
    There were more than 1,868 posts on Wen's Facebook Wall, some in Chinese, some in English.
    In Beijing, local Chinese were full of praise for the Premier.
    "I was really touched when I saw Premier Wen, at such an old age, fly to the site right after the quake. I think he is such a great premier. He sets a very good example for all the Chinese people. I hope the people affected can get through this hard time," said Wang Hui.
    "I like Premier Wen. There are many of his remarks posted on the internet, very close to the hearts of ordinary people. He is really a good premier," said Mr. Cheng.
    Wen now ranks 10th in a feature on Facebook called Browse All Politicians, which ranks them by the numbers of supporters on their pages.
    Barack Obama, who appears set to win the Democratic nomination for November's U.S. presidential election, ranked first with 864,832 supporters at last look.
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