China paper in detained journalist plea
A Chinese newspaper has published a rare front-page plea for the release of one of its journalists held by police.
The New Express, based in Guangzhou, called for Chen Yongzhou, who was detained last week, to be freed.
The paper said Mr Chen's detention was linked to reports he wrote about a part state-owned construction equipment company based in Hunan.
Police in Hunan have confirmed the journalist has been detained for 'damage to business reputation''.
Earlier this year, Mr Chen wrote several reports about Zoomlion, which is partly owned by the Hunan provincial government.
Zoomlion issued a statement after one New Express article, which alleged it had improperly accounted for sales, caused its share price to drop.
In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange in late May, the company called the claims 'false, groundless and misleading'.
The New Express led its article with a large three-character headline that read 'Please Release Him'.
It said it had remained quiet so far because it feared Mr Chen, who was detained on 19 October, might be mistreated.
'We always thought that as long as we report responsibly then there would be no problem; and even in the event of a problem, we can publish corrections and apologise; if it is really serious, and we lose a court case, we will pay or shut down if we have to,' the editorial said.
'But the fact is, we are too naive. Chen Yongzhou had spent three days and three nights [in custody] before he saw a lawyer,' it added.
Like all Chinese newspapers, the New Express comes under strict state control, but it has nonetheless gained a reputation for investigative journalism, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai.
'We are a small newspaper, but we have the backbone no matter how poor we are,' the paper said in its piece.
Recent years have seen sporadic clashes between Chinese media outlets and the authorities.
In January, journalists at the Guangdong-based Southern Weekly newspaper called for a propaganda chief to quit, after he changed an editorial into a Communist Party tribute.
The row sparked small protests and displays of solidarity from other media outlets before the issue was resolved.
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