Leading Chinese news editors on Tuesday protested a Rmb30m ($3.8m) libel suit launched by a unit of Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Hon Hai against two editorial staff at a local business daily.

A court in the southern city of Shenzhen has already frozen financial and other assets held by the two employees of the China Business News following the filing of the suit over a June story alleging excess overtime and other improper practices at the Hon Hai unit.