Hu Weighs into Inquiry on Killing of Journalist BRIEFLY: SHANGHAI

In a rare response to a criminal incident, President Hu Jintao has ordered a speedy investigation into the killing of a journalist who was beaten to death while checking on conditions at an illegal coal mine, the semiofficial China News Service reported. The killing of the journalist, Lan Chengzhang, a reporter for The China Trade News, drew protest from media advocacy groups. Lan was attacked on Jan. 10, along with a colleague, when he went to interview the owner of the mine in Shanxi Province. Seven people have been detained so far, according to reports. Citing government officials, the China News Service said Wednesday that Hu and other senior Communist Party officials sent instructions “demanding that the case be rapidly investigated and the results be reported as quickly as possible.”

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