2 pundits told to pay each other
Print Edition
Two high-profile pundits who traded insults online after taking opposing stances on GM corn were ordered by a Beijing court yesterday to compensate each other, delete the remarks and publicly apologize.
Beijing Haidian District People’s Court found Fang Shimin, an online celebrity and biochemist who writes under the pen name Fang Zhouzi, and Cui Yongyuan, a former TV host with state broadcaster CCTV, were guilty of defamation on microblogging platform Sina Weibo in September 2013.
They now must pay each other 45,000 yuan (US$7,250)and make public apologies on Sina Weibo and in Xinhua Daily Telegraph.
Neither were in court during the ruling. Fang’s attorney said he would appeal.
The spat began when Cui questioned Fang’s promotion of GM corn. It escalated, with accusations flying from both sides, including over each other’s personal finances.
The court heard that Cui called Fang “pig’s elbow,” after a famous dish that has a similar pronunciation as Fang’s pen name “Zhouzi” in Chinese. He also called Fang a “rogue.” Fang denounced Cui as a “mad dog” and a “zombie host.”
Fang filed a lawsuit against Cui in January last year, asking him to stop “infringing upon his reputation,” apologize and pay 300,000 yuan in compensation for his mental suffering.
Cui counter-sued, asking for an apology and compensation of 670,000 yuan.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
