Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – An unprecedented strike is under way in Beijing: around one-third of the 300 journalists on the staff of "Beijing News" – one of the most popular monthlies – have gone on strike because of the removal of three of their editors. The decision to remove the three, said the journalists on strike, was their too "daring" attitude and some features dedicated to "sensitive" topics of a social nature.

The move to stop work followed the decision to remove the chief-editor Yang Bin and his two deputies Sun Xuedong and Li Duoyu; the decision was taken at the end of a meeting on Wednesday with managers of the newspaper's parent publication, the Guangming Ribao, a daily newspaper considered to be conservative. The Guangming Ribao supplied replacements for the three.

The situation seems to be somewhat confused: some journalists who asked to remain anonymous said Sun Xuedong had said he had no intention of leaving in the near future and he had even tried to convince staff to return to work last night. Meanwhile, Li Duoyu, who was editor of the paper's business section, resigned to take up an offer from an internet company Tencent. As for Yang Bin, he apparently wants to return to his previous job in the Southern Metropolis News in Guangzhou.

An official of the Guangming Ribao insisted that Yang Bin "was not dismissed, he received a normal transfer to the Southern within the group." The latter newspaper, meanwhile, had nothing to say.

Concern for the newspaper's future is running high among strikers as well as those who are not striking. "We knew that such a good quality newspaper may be killed at any time, but we didn't expect it to come so soon and so suddenly," a reporter said. Even if it is still called the Beijing News after Guangming takes over, it is no longer the real Beijing News," said another.

In other developments, dissidents and human rights groups recently denounced a government campaign to bring newspapers in line and to control the internet. The same government, however, appears intent on changing its attitude towards foreign journalists, at least on an organizational level. The State Council Information Office director Cai Wu and deputy Wang Guoqing said they are preparing a revision of 1990 rules governing their activities and that the Communist Party is thinking of setting up permanent spokesmen and regular briefings for overseas correspondents.