An attack on a popular Chinese science writer known for exposing academic fraud has caused an uproar online.
Fang Zhouzi told police he was attacked by two men on a Beijing street at about 5 p.m. Sunday, after he had finished a television interview near his home, the Shijingshan branch of the Beijing police said in a statement.
One attacker sprayed a pungent liquid into Fang's face while the other hit his waist with a hammer, Fang said.
Fang's wife wrote on behalf of Fang on his microblog at 6:19 p.m. Sunday that Fang had been ambushed by two gangsters. Fang suffered slight injuries and returned home the same night.
Fang posted his account of the attack on his blog at 1:13 a.m. Monday. By 3:40 p.m., it has been read more than 128,000 times.
An online survey by Sina.com, a Chinese web portal, showed that of its 39,123 respondents, as of 4:30 p.m., 35,931 people, or 92 percent, support Fang's anti-fraud efforts.
"Fang is a lone fighter against academic fraud and we should give him our full support," said one posting by "Eren."
Another netizen with the handle "U you 14724066" said, "I will closely follow the case and I hope Beijing police can catch the perpetrators."
But some disagree with some of Fang's ideas, such as his dismissal of traditional Chinese medicine.
"Fang got what he deserves. I was outraged when he said our traditional medicine was pseudo-science," said a posting by "Zhizhu."
Fang's lawyer, Peng Jian, said Fang had ruffled many people's feather over the years and that is why he was attacked.
Peng's reasoning was echoed by 37,717, or 96.5 percent, of the respondents to the Sina.com online survey.
Fang said he received a threatening call in early June.
"Since then, I always take a taxi to get around. I don't dare take the subway or bus," Fang added.
"Since this attack, I have worried about my family's safety and I am considering hiring bodyguards to protect my family," said Fang.
Fang said he would continue to fight against fraud and not to be intimidated by the attack, the Legal Evening News reported Monday.
Fang was born in Fujian Province in 1967. He is well known for debunking bogus research and academic fraud in China. He recently exposed Li Yi, a Taoist priest in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, and Jun Tang, the former CEO of Microsoft Greater China Region.
Other writers were also attacked recently.
Fang Xuanchang, an editor at Caijing Magazine, a Beijing-based publication, was attacked by two men with steel bars on June 24 in Beijing. He survived the attack but suffered head injuries.
Fang Xuanchang had written some articles that criticized others, but he said he has no idea who was behind the attack. Police are still investigating the case.
A famous blogger known by the pseudonym "Qian Liexian" was stabbed in the men's room of a Danxiangjie bookstore in Beijing on February 14, 2009.
The attacker, Yang Chun, 34, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison this month. Yang said he attacked the blogger because Qian had criticized one of his friends in an article.
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