BEIJING, July 29(BSS/AFP) - A fugitive Chinese journalist has become a cause celebre after his corporate whistle-blowing reports landed him on a most-wanted list in a case testing the limits of media freedom in China.

Qiu Ziming, a reporter with the Economic Observer, has been on the run for days after appearing on a national wanted list over his reports exposing alleged improprieties by a major battery manufacturer based in eastern China.

The company, Kan Specialties Material Corporation, located in
Zhejiang province's Suichang county and listed on the stock
exchange of the city of Shenzhen in southern China, has denied
the charges and accused Qiu of slander.

But Qiu has continued to defiantly defend his innocence and
demand justice in blog entries, earning public support.

"What I reported is the truth," Qiu said in an entry
Wednesday on his blog on Sina.com, one of the country's leading
portals, adding he had "iron-clad" evidence of the wrongdoings
and did not fear police.

"This is not over. I will get an apology from the Suichang
police."

Qiu, who is based in the Economic Observer's Shanghai bureau,
published reports in June detailing alleged improprieties such as
insider trading by the company, media reports said.

China's media is tightly controlled but gradually becoming
more aggressive in exposing corporate and official malfeasance.
However, particularly bold reporters who offend powerful forces
risk being muzzled or even jailed.

Qiu went on the run in recent days after receiving a tip that
Suichang police had put him on a national wanted list, the state-
run Global Times said.