A veteran Chinese investigative journalist has been detained by police in Sichuan province after publishing an article critical of local officials, raising fresh concerns about the abuse of power.

On Monday (Feb 2) evening, police in Jinjiang district in Sichuan’s capital city of Chengdu issued a notice on social media on the matter.

It stated that a person surnamed Liu, 50, and one surnamed Wu, 34, had been “subjected to criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law” on suspicion of lodging “false accusations” and conducting “illegal business operations”.

According to Chinese media outlet Caixin, the detained pair are veteran journalist Liu Hu and his assistant, Wu Lingjiao.

Liu is an investigative reporter who previously worked for the Guangzhou-based newspaper New Express.

In recent years, he has operated a social media account as an independent journalist, where he has covered disputes between private enterprises and local government bodies.

In an article published on Thursday, which has since been deleted, Liu cited a source as alleging that Pu Fayou, Communist Party secretary of Pujiang county under Chengdu, had abused his authority to suppress private enterprises.

The piece also alleged that Pu was involved in the forced demolition of two properties owned by local literature professor Tuo Jiguang, who took his own life in 2021 following a years-long dispute over the homes.

A member of staff at the Pujiang party committee office told the South China Morning Post (SCMP) over the phone on Tuesday that authorities in Chengdu city and Pujiang county had established a joint investigation team and were “giving high priority” to the allegations made by Liu.

Pujiang authorities were “unable to disclose” specific details, according to the staff member.

The SCMP was unable to reach Jinjiang district police for comment.

This is not the first time Liu has been targeted by law enforcement.

From 2012 to 2013, Liu reported via social media the misconduct of several senior officials, including the former vice-mayor of the southwestern municipality of Chongqing, the director of the public security department of Shaanxi province in the northwest, and the president of the Shanghai High People’s Court.

In 2013, Beijing police detained Liu at his Chongqing residence on suspicion of defamation and released him on bail pending trial a year later.

But in 2015, a Beijing district prosecutor’s office decided not to prosecute him.

In China, most defendants formally charged by prosecutors are eventually convicted.

Liu’s case was hailed by the official Procuratorial Daily as showing the prosecutors’ “firm resolve to exercise legal oversight independently”.

It was also selected as one of China’s top 10 media law cases of 2015 by the Communication University of China and the Beijing Lawyers Association.

Chinese lawyers and academics have voiced support for Liu on social media.

In a post on Monday, Beijing-based criminal defence lawyer Zhang Xinnian said that in an “era of sound legislation and good governance”, Chinese society required “upright individuals” such as Liu.

Qu Weiguo, former dean of Fudan University’s College of Foreign Languages and Culture in Shanghai, published an article on Tuesday cautioning that authorities “must exercise utmost restraint when imposing coercive measures against journalists reporting on anti-corruption efforts”.

China maintains stringent media controls, requiring official accreditation for reporting on current affairs and social issues. Independent journalists often operate in a legal grey area and may face censorship, penalties or even criminal charges.

In recent years, Beijing has repeatedly called for protecting the rights of private enterprises, including enacting legislation aimed at protecting the private sector – an area long plagued by arbitrary enforcement and breach of contract by local governments.

This article was first published on SCMP.