Wall Street Journal denies bribery in China, says no evidence of impropriety

NEW YORK (AP) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been investigating a purported whistleblower's allegations that the Wall Street Journal bureau in China bribed officials there to get information for news stories.

Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal, became aware of the allegations last year and has concluded that they are unfounded, a spokesman for Dow Jones said on Monday. Details about the probe were first reported by the newspaper on Sunday.

"After a thorough review of our operations in China conducted by outside lawyers and auditors, we have not found any evidence of impropriety at Dow Jones," Ms Paula Keve said in a statement. "Nor has anyone taken issue with our findings."

A law enforcement official said on Monday that despite the news organisation's own findings, the inquiry by the FBI's New York office was still open. The official was not authorised to discuss the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.