China journalist 'quit' newspaper after official pressure

BEIJING (AFP) - One of China's most celebrated journalists has left an outspoken newspaper, it confirmed on Thursday, after what two of his colleagues said was official pressure over a series of investigative reports.

Wang Keqin, whose decades of breaking stories have brought him nationwide fame, worked for the Economic Observer, a weekly known for its investigations, but left after a reporting team he led was shut down following government pressure.

China came 174th in a list of 179 countries ranked for press freedom in 2011-12 by advocacy group Reporters Without Borders, falling three places compared to the previous year.

The Economic Observer takes inspiration from Britain's Financial Times, and is known for its free-market stance on economic issues and relatively outspoken criticism of government policy.