In the immediate aftermath of the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao rushed to the scene and spent days encouraging rescuers and consoling victims while cameras rolled and the nation grieved.
“Grandpa Wen”, as the Premier likes to be known, and his special brand of populism have helped shore up support for the Communist Party’s authoritarian rule over the past decade and he is widely regarded as an official who truly cares about the Chinese masses.
But in the aftermath of China’s first serious bullet train crash, which killed 39 people and injured nearly 200 last Saturday night, Mr Wen did not arrive to console the victims until Thursday morning.
您已阅读18%（681字），剩余82%（3049字）包含更多重要信息，订阅以继续探索完整内容，并享受更多专属服务。