Chinese reformist PM struggling to stay in power

Nicknamed "Grandpa Wen", China's most popular leader Prime Minister Wen Jiabao appears to be struggling to retain his key post and his third rank in the powerful Communist party politburo with hints of "rift" with President Hu Jintao.

"Wen who is entering the twilight of a decade as country's third ranked leader appears to be struggling to retain his position," New York Times reported from Beijing.

The leading spokesman for what passes for political liberalism in China, Wen is by most accounts ideologically isolated on the Communist Party's nine member Politburo standing committee.

"More than once his views have been rebuffed, tacitly or openly in party organs. There are tantalizing hints of rifts with his boss, President Hu Jintao", The Times said.

The paper said Communist Party hardliners were internally strengthening their control and Wen's advocacy of political reform has increasingly sapped his influence.

The latest rebuff to the 69-year-old premier, Times said had been handed out when his pledge for "open and transparent" government inquiry into the recent high speed train disaster which claimed 40 lives was quietly buried.

Quoting sources in China the paper said just the day after announcing an official inquiry into the incident, censors moved to silence the news media's dogged reporting on railway negligence and corruption.

By last week the government inquiry itself was accused of being rigged, run by a panel that included the Railway Minister's second-in-command and loyalist experts.