(December 29, 2001) Chen Jieren’s newspaper ran a story that said relief funds allocated by Beijing to flood victims in Shaanxi were held up by provincial and municipal governments. The story upset the Shaanxi government, which complained to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

A chief editor of the outspoken Beijing-based newspaper the Public Interest Times was sacked yesterday after executives came under pressure from the authorities amid the ongoing tightening of official control over the media. Sources inside the newspaper said it was announced that Chen Jieren, 34, who had worked as chief editor of its Tuesday edition for five months, had been sacked. On Tuesday, the newspaper carried a story criticising incorrect English translations on the central government’s newly launched official website. …

The Public Interest Times ran an investigative story last month that said more than 50 million yuan in relief funds allocated by Beijing to flood victims in Weinan, Shaanxi province, had been held up by provincial and municipal governments. The story upset the Shaanxi government, which complained to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

South China Morning Post, December 29, 2001