Muted reaction in mainland media to Zhou Yongkang's arrest
State media plays down news about case of ex-security tsar while comments on biggest internet portals are heavily censored
While central government newspapers such as the and put items about President Xi Jinping above Zhou, influential local newspapers such as the in Guangzhou made his case the main headline.
But all the papers ran identical content, using the official announcement by Xinhua. At the Beijing headquarters of the China National Petroleum Corporation, where Zhou built up his wealth and power, senior party members were gathered and briefed on the news on Friday.
They "unanimously" supported the central committee's decision with "firm resolution", according to a statement published on its website.
Online, people focused their comments on some of the more colourful aspects of the allegations, including that Zhou kept mistresses.
"Are they the American imperialists?" another commentator wrote.
Some were curious as why the news was released at midnight on Friday. In the past, announcements on judicial actions against important political figures were made either by Xinhua during the day or during the 7pm national broadcast by China Central Television.
