Wang You and Weng Bao

media - Foxconn gives in to online opposition

The Taiwanese producer of iPods, Foxconn, has reduced its financial claim against two journalists from 30 million to one yuan. It wanted to sue them after the company was being accused of poor working conditions at its facilities in Shenzhen and Kunming, close to Shanghai.
After those accusations were largely proven to be unjustified, apart from worktime related issues, Foxconn's subsidiary sued two journalists of one of the papers involved, not the UK tabloid that sparked off the original accusations or other Chinese media.
Especially the unprecedented high financial claim, causing the Shenzhen court to freeze the assets of both journalists, triggered off a nationwide outcry, led by China's webloggers. Even the People's Daily, the daily of the Communist Party, condemned the legal procedings in Shenzhen.
Two weblogs, started by internet portals for the journalists, continued to collect thousands of comments from angry Chinese citizens who displayed their anger.
The change has been celebrated widely as yet another victory for China increasingly powerful online community.
The animosity was also fuelled by a widespread feeling among Chinese Taiwanese companies exploit cheap labor and resources in China more than other non-mainland companies.