A correspondent for China’s international radio station who has not been seen since apparently abandoning his post in Zimbabwe three months ago was officially warned on Thursday to return to work.
China Radio International posted an unusual notice in the English-language China Daily newspaper saying that Cheng Qinghua “left his post without authorisation” on April 20.
“He has been absent from work ever since and his action is a serious breach of the work rules of China Radio International,” the notice said.
“Cheng Qinghua is asked to report to work within 30 days from the date of publication of this notice. Otherwise he will be dealt with in accordance with relevant rules.”
A spokesperson for China Radio International told Agence France-Presse on Thursday that Cheng had left his Harare office without informing the radio station.
But other than to say Cheng was aged in his 40s, the spokesperson refused to discuss the reporter any further.
Cheng is little known in the Chinese media community, and it appears that the Zimbabwe posting was his first overseas mission.
Searches for Cheng on the English-language pages of the internet show his dispatches from Zimbabwe only in late last year and early this year, while his name does not return any hits on Chinese pages.
China Radio International is the Chinese government’s only overseas broadcaster and broadcasts in 43 languages, according to its website. – AFP