No charge for journalist held for online posts in 2013

Beijing prosecutors have decided not to indict a Chinese journalist detained more than two years ago during an aggressive government campaign to crack down on online rumors and rein in China’s social media. Liu Hu was detained in August 2013 for his whistleblowing posts on senior government officials. He said yesterday he was formally notified by the prosecuting office that he will not face any charge. The decision was somewhat expected since Liu was released on bail in August 2014. Unnerved by the rapid growth of social media and the new media’s potential to usurp the state’s power over public discourse, Beijing in 2013 launched a crackdown to hush outspoken, independent voices online. Liu apparently was implicated in the campaign. He said his life had been turned upside down.

Inflation rises on higher pork, vegetable costs

High prices for pork and fresh vegetables pushed up China’s inflation in August but to a relatively low 2 percent that leaves Beijing room to stimulate the slowing economy if needed. The rate reported yesterday was an increase over July’s 1.4 percent. That was due largely to a 3.7 percent increase in food costs, which included a 15.9 percent rise for fresh vegetables and 9.3 percent for pork. Producer prices, measured as goods leave the factory, declined 5.4 percent from a year earlier. Lower inflation leaves room for Beijing to boost the economy if needed with interest rate cuts or other measures with less concern about igniting politically dangerous price rises. Analysts expect Chinese inflation to rise in coming months but to still-modest levels. “The benign inflation outlook in China keeps the door open for Beijing to further ease monetary policy to support growth,” said Commonwealth Bank of Australia economist Wei Li in a report.