On November 16, 2024, two reporters from the Chinese state-owned Xinhua News Agency’s “Economic Information Daily” were assaulted while reporting on shoddy workmanship in the high-speed rail project in Anhui province. The local police announced last night that administrative detention was imposed on five individuals at the construction site, and the state-owned enterprise China Railway Seventh Bureau dismissed these five individuals. This clash between the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece and a state-owned enterprise has sparked heated discussions online. A former media person disclosed that Communist Party media reporters dare to challenge interest groups, hinting at underlying motivations.
The Public Security Bureau of Dingyuan County, Anhui Province, issued a statement late at night on the 15th, reporting that on the 14th at 3:49 pm, in the construction site of China Railway Seventh Bureau at the He Xin High-speed Rail project site, journalists Wang and Cheng (reporters Wang Wen Zhi and Cheng Zi Long from “Economic Information Daily”) had their mobile phones snatched by relevant personnel at the project site and were restricted in their movements, leading to a “minor injury” on Wang’s right palm.
According to the report, the five individuals at the project site have been administratively detained for 13, 13, 12, 10, and 7 days, respectively. The report did not mention the names or positions of these five individuals.
China Railway Seventh Bureau Group Co., Ltd. also issued a statement that night, expressing deep apologies for the injured reporters, complying with the police’s decision, and dismissing project branch manager Wang, deputy manager Yang, and administrator Wu; and dismissing Party committee secretary and commander Chen, Party committee deputy secretary Qu, and others responsible for management.
Reporters Wang Wen Zhi and Cheng Zi Long from “Economic Information Daily,” affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, published a report on the 12th after their investigation and interviews, exposing the substandard construction materials used in the He Xin High-speed Rail project. It was reported that the elastic cushion layer currently laid in the limited groove device does not meet the industry standards for railway, functioning as counterfeit products, prone to “cracking with a slight cut” and “breaking with a light pull,” incapable of withstanding the high-intensity and high-speed impacts of train operation.
On the 14th, Wang and Cheng revisited the He Xin High-speed Rail construction site in Dingyuan County, Anhui Province, for further investigation, but they were beaten by on-site personnel from China Railway Seventh Bureau, and their freedom of movement was restricted. Not only were their mobile phones snatched, but Wang Wen Zhi also sustained a bleeding injury on his right hand. The incident caused a stir once it became known, garnering widespread attention. The Chinese Journalists Association later announced their stance on safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of journalists for fair reporting.
It is worth noting that Xinhua News Agency is one of the three major mouthpiece party media outlets, alongside the People’s Daily and China Central Television (CCTV). Meanwhile, China Railway Seventh Bureau is part of China Railway Group Limited, with China Railway Engineering Group Co., Ltd. holding the controlling shares, functioning as a major central state-owned enterprise under the supervision of the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.
According to Chinese media reports, Wang Wen Zhi, who was assaulted by individuals from China Railway Seventh Bureau, is currently the director of the Investigation and Reporting Department at “Economic Information Daily”, with 18 years of investigative reporting experience. He previously exposed the “Sun City” online gambling platform, indirectly leading to the arrest of the behind-the-scenes financier “Ximi Hua.”
On November 15, user account “Reporter Xiaowu” posted, “The fact that Xinhua News Agency reporters were beaten only goes to show that, even if you’re aligned with the Party, it doesn’t guarantee you won’t get hit. Xinhua News Agency and China Railway share a common bond, both being good minions of the Party, yet the master remained silent while the minions acted first.”
Mainland media person Zhao Lanjian directly pointed out that there are deep secrets behind party media journalists reporting on major infrastructure projects. He told Dajiyuan that behind high-speed rail projects lay powerful official forces, which is why they dared to assault party media journalists. However, the journalists willing to confront these challenges have complicated backgrounds themselves.
Zhao Lanjian mentioned, “Almost all of the Communist Party officials have turned into millionaires. The enormous funds inflated by China’s real estate, major infrastructure projects, and manufacturing industries have made many individuals both officials and shadowy bosses. I have encountered many similar cases before, but these cases are usually off-limits to many people. Once a journalist dares to touch upon such events, they either have the support of the newspaper’s leadership, some officials, or engage in backroom dealing with vested interests.”
He revealed that these journalists infringe upon the interests of large interest groups and political factions, and many journalists engaging in such risky reporting find themselves in a precarious position. The journalist either receives support to confront these dark forces, supports dark forces themselves, or relies on interest groups to seek personal gains.
He said, “In a society with information control and closures, there is no justice; it is all a game orchestrated by interest groups behind the scenes. In this game, reporters are merely pawns on the front lines.”
Zhao Lanjian noted that these two journalists were able to report with the backing of Xinhua News Agency’s leadership. “Whichever leader within Xinhua News Agency arranged for these two journalists to confront these interest groups, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are standing on the side of justice. In a society lacking rule of law and suffocated information, there is no justice or truth. The justice and truth that the public sees have been cleansed.”
Zhao Lanjian also pointed out that behind the news coverage by Chinese media lies a vast operation of black-on-black, with journalists being a part of this dark industry chain. “Because all news media in China are supervised by the municipal and provincial propaganda departments. They need to beautify China’s economic crisis and collapsing social reality. Behind this, there is another voice called ‘Tell China’s story well.’ What does it mean to tell China’s story well? It means disregarding reality and concocting false propaganda. The essence of China’s story is a process of reversing black and white. To create some lies for the sake of a supposed image,” he said.