Ex China premier Wen Jiabao states innocence in letter to Hong Kong columnist

Former premier Wen Jiabao has insisted on his innocence and integrity in a letter to a Hong Kong newspaper columnist in a bid to contain damage from claims that his extended family accumulated massive wealth during his tenure at the top.

"I have never been involved and would not get involved in one single deal of abusing my power for personal gain because no such gains whatsoever could shake my convictions," Wen said in the letter to Ng Hong-mun, a former deputy to the National People's Congress, on December 27.

Ng, a veteran columnist, revealed his communication with Wen in an article in yesterday.

The former premier remains under a cloud after reported in October 2012 that his family and a web of relatives accumulated US$2.7 billion of hidden assets during his leadership.

Wen stepped down as a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party's Politburo in November 2012 and retired as premier in March last year.

"I want to walk the last journey in this world well. I came to this world with bare hands and I want to leave this world clean," Wen wrote in the letter.

Pressure has been mounting on the former premier to come clean as another former member of the Standing Committee, Zhou Yongkang , is reportedly under investigation for corruption.