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Dec 13, 2009

Editor demoted for interview

BEIJING - THE top editor of a Chinese newspaper that interviewed US President Barack Obama has been demoted, sources said, in a move they described as fallout from Communist Party censors' anger over its handling of the story. Xiang Xi, the top editor of the Southern Weekend weekly newspaper who interviewed Obama during his visit to China in mid-November, has been named as 'executive' editor-in-chief and placed under a new top editor this week after pressure from the ruling Communist Party's propaganda department, said three employees of the paper. They all requested anonymity, saying they feared punishment for speaking about the move, which has also been discussed on Chinese-language Internet sites. Xiang's demotion could revive debate in Washington about the impact of Obama's visit. It underscored the contention between Washington and Beijing over censorship and access during Obama's visit, when US officials' pressed for opportunities for him to speak directly to the Chinese public. 'The propaganda department was certainly unhappy about the interview,' said Michael Anti, a Chinese blogger and media commentator based in Beijing who follows censorship. 'Xiang Xi was de facto top editor at the South Weekend and in effective he has been shifted from number one to number two... This could be a way to stave off more pressure from above'. Anti and one source at the paper said Xiang's formal title may not have changed, but the appointment of a new superior transferred from a paper, the Southern Daily, more trusted by the Party was a slap for Southern Weekend. Xiang could not be contacted for comment. The paper (www.infzm.com) is one of China's most popular and combative newspapers, featuring investigative reports on social problems and official corruption and misdeeds. -- REUTERS