Society

'Science cop' says he won't be stopped

By Wang Jingqiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-31 07:41

"Science cop" Fang Zhouzi. [China Daily]

BEIJING - Fang Zhouzi, known as a "science cop" for his battles against pseudoscience and academic misconduct, pledged on Monday to continue exposing academic frauds after being attacked and slightly injured on Sunday afternoon.

"I will not be frightened and will stick to what I have been doing," Fang told reporters on Monday afternoon.

He said he had received threatening calls over the past 10 years.

"I will not stop battling pseudoscience," he said, while adding that he will be more careful about his personal safety in the future.

Fang said he was attacked by two men in the street after he finished a TV interview near his home at about 5 pm on Sunday afternoon.

One of the men sprayed a pungent liquid on his face and another man hit his waist with a hammer, Fang said.

When Fang ran into his residential area, the two men stopped chasing him and threw the hammer at him, causing minor injuries.

The plotted attack must have been organized by someone who wants revenge for his disclosure of some misconduct, Fang said.

Related readings:  'Science cop' Fang Zhouzi injured in attack near home  'Science cop' returns fire at former Microsoft chief

"I've told everything to the police. I hope the police will investigate and discover the identity of the criminals soon," Fang said in his blog.

Calls to the Shijingshan police bureau of Beijing, which Fang said is in charge of his case, went unanswered Monday afternoon.

Fang said he believes that the attack against him is related to a recent one against his friend, Fang Xuanchang, a journalist from Caijing Magazine, who was also attacked last month in Beijing in a similar way.

"I was also attacked by two men who came out unexpectedly and started to beat me with sticks," Fang Xuanchang was quoted by ifeng.com as saying. "The police haven't found out who they are."

Fang Xuanchang, however, doubts that the two attacks were plotted by the same person, because he and Fang Zhouzi worked together to disclose the misconduct of more than 10 people.

The attacks could have come from any of those people, Fang Xuanchang said.

Fang Zhouzi, who was born in Southeast China's Fujian province in 1967, is well known for disclosing bogus research and academic frauds in China, including the latest case of Li Yi, a Taoist priest in Chongqing who has been accused of faking his credentials and promoting himself as a health guru.

Last month Fang Zhouzi also accused Tang Jun, former CEO of Microsoft Greater China Region, of fabricating his academic credentials in the United Sates.