Throughout his premiership, Wen Jiabao has tried to cultivate an image as a man of the people. “Grandpa Wen” was always the first on the scene when disaster struck, presenting the gentler, more understanding face of the Communist party. It was he who spoke out most eloquently of the need for a fairer, more balanced economy and of the virtues of democratic reform. Thus was born the reputation of the “People’s President”.

That is why allegations in the New York Times that Mr Wen’s family has amassed a vast fortune during his premiership have stung so badly. Some fear that he may have been the victim of a smear campaign, perhaps orchestrated by people close to Bo Xilai, the former party secretary of Chongqing charged with abuse of power. Damaging Mr Wen could plausibly be seen as a setback for the reform process he espoused yet so signally failed to advance during 10 years as premier. Instead, people may look back on a decade in which promises of a harmonious society and the need for sustainable growth were mere empty slogans disguising an institutional descent into self-enrichment at the top.

Lawyers acting for Mr Wen have taken the highly unusual step of denying allegations that cannot be reported in the Chinese media. “The so-called ‘hidden riches’ of Wen Jiabao’s family members in the New York Times report does not exist,” the lawyers were quoted as saying in the Hong Kong media. In mainland China, censors have blocked the newspaper’s website, both in English and Chinese. If Mr Wen has a case against the New York Times, he should sue it. But blocking it is an embarrassment for a country with great power pretensions. It should cease immediately.