Shortly after 1 a.m. on September 18, Li Xiang (李翔), a journalist for the local television network in Luoyang, Henan province, was killed in a brutal knife attack not far from his home. While the motive for the attack was not immediately clear, suspicion turned immediately to Li’s work on various social issues, and to reporting he was doing more recently on the re-sale of dangerous waste oil, an issue that has become national news over the past week.
The General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP), the government office that deals with licensing and registration and journalists and media — and sometimes speaks publicly on behalf of journalists — said yesterday in an interview with the the Legal Mirror newspaper that it “severely condemned” any harm done to journalists. A GAPP spokesperson said: “We are already paying attention [to this case], and we hope the police, which are investigating the case, quickly have a breakthrough and bring the perpetrators to justice.” GAPP added that it would “take necessary measures” according to developments in the case.