The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online. The name of the issuing body has been omitted to protect the source.
Do not place news of the Zhangzhou, Fujian PX explosion in lead story sections of news agency websites. Take note and control negative commentary related to petrochemical projects. (April 7, 2015) [Chinese]
An explosion at a chemical factory that produces paraxylene in Zhangzhou, Fujian has again raised public concerns about the risks of chemical production. For more on the explosion, including cartoonist Rebel Pepper’s illustrated take, see CDT’s earlier coverage.
Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.
