President Hu Jintao personally intervened to stop the closure of the controversial weekly newspaper 21st Century World Herald, reported South China Morning Post. It was temporarily closed in March after publishing an interview with Li Rui, a former secretary of Mao Zedong, in which he called for more democracy within the Communist Party and criticised the leadership for not adequately promoting the rule of law.
Guangdong provincial propaganda officials had originally wanted to close the newspaper permanently but Hu stepped in and ordered a temporary halt to publication, after receiving a letter from Li who had been told the newspaper was to be shut down. As a result the newspaper is expected soon to resume publication, but the senior editorial staff have all been replaced.
