Chinese journalist Liu Hu detained in Sichuan after report scrutinising local officials

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Yuanyue DangFebruary 3, 2026 at 10:28 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Chinese journalist Liu Hu and his assistant Wu Lingjiao were detained by police in Chengdu's Jinjiang district, Sichuan province on Monday. The detention was announced via a police notice citing suspicion of "false accusations" and "illegal business operations." Liu, a veteran investigative reporter, had recently published an article critical of Pu Fayou, the Communist Party secretary of Pujiang county, alleging abuse of power and involvement in a property dispute that led to a suicide in 2021. The article, published on Liu's WeChat account, has since been deleted. The detentions have raised concerns about the potential abuse of power in response to journalistic scrutiny of local officials.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

New Express 40% Pujiang County 50% Caixin 50% Communist Party 60% Tuo Jiguang 60% Jinjiang District 60% Chengdu ×270% Pu Fayou ×270% Wu Lingjiao 70% China 80% Sichuan ×280% Liu Hu ×590%

Keywords

journalist detained 90% liu hu 80% sichuan 70% local officials 70% abuse of power 60% false accusations 60% investigative journalist 50% illegal business operations 50% pu fayou 40% private enterprises 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Sichuan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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journalist detained liu hu sichuan local officials abuse of power false accusations investigative journalist illegal business operations pu fayou private enterprises

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