Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the detention of two independent Chinese journalists, including a prominent investigative reporter, following their publication of an article alleging corruption by a local official in southwestern China.

Wu Yingjiao and Liu Hu, who gained national recognition over a decade ago for uncovering graft among high-profile figures, were reportedly detained on Sunday in China’s Sichuan province, according to the Paris-headquartered advocacy group.

Police in Chengdu, the provincial capital, confirmed on Monday that they were investigating a 50-year-old man surnamed Liu and a 34-year-old man surnamed Wu, among others, on suspicion of "making false accusations" and "illegal business operations." The statement added that they had been placed under "criminal coercive measures," a legal term typically referring to detention. While authorities only provided surnames, Chinese media and RSF identified the individuals as Liu Hu and Wu Yingjiao. Chengdu police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The arrests followed the publication of a co-authored investigative report on 29 January via the social media platform WeChat. The report examined alleged corruption involving Pu Fayou, the Communist Party secretary of Pujiang county in Sichuan. Mr Pu could not be immediately reached for comment. The report has since been deleted from WeChat, a common action taken by censors in cases involving sensitive government exposes.

Liu Hu is one of the journalists who has reportedly been detained (Michael Conway)

Liu Hu, a former investigative reporter at New Express, was previously detained by Beijing police in 2013 on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" for allegedly "fabricating and spreading rumours." He was later released on bail after spending 364 days in detention, RSF stated.

Aleksandra Bielakowska, RSF’s advocacy manager for the Asia-Pacific region, highlighted that the detention of the two journalists underscores a "restrictive and hostile" environment for independent reporting in China. "We call on the international community to intensify pressure on the Chinese regime, rather than pursue a normalisation of relations that only enables further repression and allows the authorities to continue targeting reliable reporters," Ms Bielakowska said.

This year, leaders from numerous democratic nations, including South Korea, Canada, and the United Kingdom, have visited Beijing in efforts to improve relations with China amidst ongoing trade and security tensions with the United States. China ranked 178 out of 180 in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, with the group identifying the country as the world’s largest jailer of journalists.