向批評當局的中国新聞紙施壓? 編輯幹部停職，分局關閉

A few weeks ago the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

当局批判の中国紙に圧力か　編集幹部が停職、支局も閉鎖

広州＝延与光貞

2015年5月25日23時30分

　大手企業や地方政府への批判で知られる中国・湖北省の新聞「長江商報」が、地元当局から「指導」を受け、編集幹部が停職処分になったことが分かった。関係者が朝日新聞に明かしたほか、香港メディアなどが報じた。当局批判を強める改革派メディアへの圧力との見方も出ている。

　関係者によると、同省の党宣伝部などが同紙の指導に入ったのは今月中旬。四川省南充市の共産党組織内の選挙汚職、福建省の化学工場爆発事故の環境への影響、貴州省の国有企業の不正など最近の七つの報道を挙げ、「事実と違う」「マイナス面ばかり報じている」と批判した。

　編集幹部が停職処分を受けたほか、「省外での取材は許されない」として、同紙が省外に設けていた支局の閉鎖を命令。記者数人が退職することになった。評論の掲載も禁じられているという。関係者の一人は取材に、「ニュースにあるのは事実か事実でないかだけだ。当局の論理は間違っている」と話した。

　長江商報は２００６年に創刊。調査報道で知られた著名記者らも参加し、昨年１２月から週１回、全国のニュースを独自の視点で報じて評判を集めていた。（広州＝延与光貞）

(試譯文)

It was made clear that the "Chang Jiang Commercial Daily", a newspaper in China known for its criticism towards major companies and the local government, had received guidance from the local authority, with its editing executive suspended. According to the people concerned, apart from disclosing to the Asahi Shimbun, it also told the Hong Kong media. Views had come out that it was putting pressure on the reform factions in the media that strongly criticized the authority.

  According to the person concerned, it was at the middle of this month (May) that the Party Propaganda Department gave guidance to the said paper. Seven recent reports covered by the paper were mentioned and criticized as "different from the facts", "only the negative aspect is being reported": election corruption in the Communist party organization in Nanchong city in Szechwan province, influence to the environment caused by the chemical factory explosion accident in Fujian province, and the injustice of a state-owned enterprise in Guizhou province.

  On top of a suspension punishment for the editing executive, supposedly all "coverage outside the province is not permitted": branch office of the said paper established outside the province was ordered to close. Several reporters were going to retire. It was said that the paper was forbidden to carry criticism. One concerned person in response to our coverage said that "what is news is merely about whether it is a fact or not. The logic of the authority is wrong".

  Chang Jiang Commercial Daily started publication in 2006. It was well known for its investigative reporting and that famous reporters had participated. From December last year once a week, it reported news collected from the whole country and made comments, using an independent viewpoint.

It is not surprising to note that China is trying to control the mass media.