An Internet celebrity and journalist known for his critical commentary was held by Beijing police on Friday, on suspicions that he hired a prostitute.
Charles Xue Biqun, known best by his pseudonym Xu Manzi, was detained after he was reportedly caught in a residential building with an employed sex partner, according to Beijing police, who posted the news on Weibo-a Twitter-like Chinese social media site.
According to the South China Morning Post, this highlights the heightened moves state police are making in efforts to staunch the flow of liberal rhetoric that is currently sidling its way into the Chinese media.
Another reporter for Guangzhou-based paper the New Express, Liu Hu, was also taken into police custody a day after Xue, for allegedly "fabricating and spreading rumors."
This, the South China Morning Post reported, is a blanket phrase used when referring to any act that rattles Chinese public structure.
Liu's wife reported that her husband was taken from their home in Chongqing, along with two computers and a handful of debit cards. The accounts linked to those cards were subsequently closed.
According to business website ZD Net, these arrests and others, are the latest in China's roundup of troublesome "rumor mongers," as Beijing calls them.
Xue recently caught fire for pointing the finger at a senior government official of dereliction of duty.
He also was critical of other high-up government officials on his Weibo microblog, where he has garnered a following of over 12 million fans.
The microblogs were deleted after he was taken into police custody.
On Sunday, the Global Times reported that Internet users and Chinese officials are working to stop rumor-spreading.
Yao Lixin, spokesperson for China's Red Cross Society, reported to the Times that bloggers were doing nothing but stirring up trouble.
"They fabricated news about the Red Cross purchasing villas and spending 10,000 yuan on tents," he said. "These influential bloggers did nothing but spread rumors."
Media professional Yang Lan commented on the importance of staying true to the state, a common value in Mainland China.
"I think the social mentality is quite complex right now," he told the Times. "People want to vent their feelings. But regardless of your views, you should be truthful and not violate the law."
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