US ’troubled’ by sacking of Chinese blogger

The State Department said on Friday it was “troubled” by reports that a Chinese blogger who met top US diplomat John Kerry had been fired by his employer.

Journalist Zhang Jialong was one of four bloggers who met Kerry in Beijing in February, when he urged the United States to help “tear down the great internet firewall.”

Zhang said on Sunday he had lost his job at internet firm Tencent for “leaking business secrets and other confidential and sensitive information,” in what he said was a reprisal for meeting Kerry.

“We are deeply concerned by reports that one of the bloggers who met with the secretary has been fired from his job after meeting with secretary Kerry,” the State Department said.

“If the reports are true, we would be very troubled that a private company employee would be fired for expressing his or her views.”