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SCMP Reporter

Editorial staff at an outspoken and influential Chinese political magazine have filed a lawsuit against the cultural ministry academy after the abrupt sacking of its publishers and top editors.
Staff at Yanhuang Chunqiu magazine said they were ready to “put up the final fight” to defend their editorial and operational independence.
The 25-year-old journal has a reputation for forthright articles that contest official versions of Communist Party history and is seen by many as a standard bearer for liberals within the party. Many of its editors and writers are party veterans and retired officials, including the publisher Du Dao­zheng, who once headed the government censor.
Publisher sacked at outspoken Chinese political magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu
The magazine staff said in a statement yesterday that the Chinese National Academy of Arts, which oversees the journal, had stationed staff at the magazine’s office since Thursday who were interrupting editorial operations.
They also said the magazine’s website has been tampered with changing its administration password and publishing unauthorised information.
Our publisher Du Daozheng, and other staff hired by Du will uphold the integrity of the agreement, and our legitimate rights
Yanhuang Chunqiu staff statement
A statement posted on the magazine website said the academy had “solid grounds” for the reshuffle, citing the age limit for retired party or government officials working for private entities was 70. Du is 93.
Staff said the magazine and academy signed a legally binding agreement in 2014 stating that the magazine retained autonomy for hiring staff and making financial and editorial decisions.
“Our publisher Du Daozheng, and other staff hired by Du will uphold the integrity of the agreement, and our legitimate rights,” the staff statement said. “For that, we have appointed a lawyer to sue the academy,” it said, adding that the magazine was now facing a very difficult situation.
The staff also said they could not guarantee being able to publish the August issue on time.
Despite having the support of reform-minded party veterans, the magazine has come under repeated pressure from authorities to soften their editorial stance.
Chinese political magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu forced to call off annual dinner
Du Mingming, Du’s daughter and an editor at the publication, said the magazine would rather be “pieces of jade than a whole tile”and was ready to fight to the finish with its legal action.
Two deputy publishers were also sacked, including Hu Dehua, son of late party general secretary Hu Yaobang and a liberal party veteran. Chief editor Xu Qingquan was demoted to deputy editor.
The new academy-appointed magazine management have very different backgrounds. The new publisher, Jia Leilei, 60, is a deputy director of the Chinese National Academy of Arts and a film expert. The new editor-in-chief, Hao Qingjun, 48, is a researcher of literature at the academy.


Staff to sue Chinese cultural ministry academy over sacking of publisher of outspoken political magazine

Du Daozheng, who was sacked as publisher of the political magazine magazine, Yanhuang Chunqiu, on Tuesday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

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