Hu Zhong, CEO of the Paper Tiger culture company, stabbed to death

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Hu Zhong, CEO of the Paper Tiger Culture Group (纸老虎文化集团), was stabbed to death in a Beijing parking lot on July 29. Paper Tiger is one of the more successful of China's "culture companies"—privately-owned companies that get around China's publshing restrictions by partnering with state-owned publishers. Founded in 1999, Paper Tiger is also very active in distributing books and magazines in shopping malls and supermarkets. In 2004 Paper Tiget opened a 5,000-square-meter "culture square" in Beijing's Jinyuan Times shopping mall (金源时代购物中心), incorporating bookshops, an events venue, and dining. Since then Paper Tiger has opened two more such culture squares in Beijing, and in 2007 they won a "best bookstore chain of the year" prize. Paper Tiger's readers membership program currently boasts 400,000 members.

Of Hu Zhong's five assailants, three escaped, one committed suicide, and one is in custody. Police suspect that the attack was part of a plan to kidnap Hu Zhong for ransom.