By Christine Khamis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
BEIJING, China —
Chinese journalist Wang Xiaolu was arrested in late August for his article about the recent China stock market crisis, which affected the global economy. Mr. Wang was forced to confess on China Central Television, China’s state television network, that he had gathered information for his article using private sources and abnormal means. Mr. Wang also confessed that he had added his own subjective views to the information that he had found and that his article was “sensational” and “irresponsible”. Mr. Wang stated that he hoped for leniency from judicial authorities.
Mr. Wang, a reporter for business magazine Caijing, was arrested at his home and taken into police custody last Tuesday. His televised confession occurred before any formal court proceedings.
Mr. Wang’s article in Caijing about the stock market crisis indicated that China’s Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) planned to withdraw money from the already struggling stock market. The CSRC denied the story, but Chinese authorities believe that Mr. Wang’s article contributed to the stock market plunge in July 2015. According to Xinhua, China’s official press agency, Mr. Wangs’s article caused “abnormal fluctuations” in the stock market.
Mr. Wang has been accused of “ colluding with others and fabricating and spreading false information concerning securities and futures trading”, according to Xinhua. He has been placed under “criminal compulsory measures”, which could lead to jail, house arrest, residential surveillance, or other punishments.
It has been a surprise to many that the Chinese government has targeted Caijing. While the financial magazine has a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what the Chinese government deems admissible, Caijing has avoided covering topics prohibited by the government.
Mr. Wang’s arrest occurred in the midst of a government crackdown on the spread of rumors online. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has charged nearly 200 people for “spreading rumors online”.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, major news sources in China have been instructed to delete articles about Beijing’s response to the stock market crisis.
Human rights groups and the Committee to Protect Journalists have called for the release of Mr. Wang. The Committee has stated that Chinese authorities’ sensitivity to changes in the financial markets is no reason to intimidate and jail a journalist.
Orville Schell, director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, believes that the punishment of Mr. Wang signifies a tightening of government control in China. In recent years, Chinese authorities have increased their use of televised confessions to use detainees’ cases as warnings to others. Authorities have employed the tactic with journalists, human rights activists, and lawyers.
For more information, please see:
New York Times – Caijing Journalist’s Shaming Signals China’s Growing Control Over News Media – 6 September 2015
Committee to Protect Journalists– Chinese State TV Airs Footage of Journalist Saying He Regrets Writing Stock Market Story – 31 August 2015
The Guardian – Chinese Reporter Makes On-Air ‘Confession’ After Market Chaos – 31 August 2015
The Independent – A Chinese Journalist Has Appeared on State Television ‘Confessing’ to Causing the Stock Market Chaos – 31 August 2015
New York Times – China Punishes Nearly 200 Over ‘Rumors’ About Stocks, Blasts and Parade – 31 August 2015
Al Jazeera – Chinese Journalist Jailed After Stock Market Crash Coverage – 27 August 2015
