Peking University professor Xia Yeliang issues an urgent statement to refute an assertion by Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the Global Times writing under the penname Shan Renping. In a September 9, 2013 article titled “One needs to pass the internal review before becoming a Peking University professor,” Hu says that Xia failed last year’s review. Xia says that in fact he did pass the review and that Hu’s assertion was a libelous and malicious rumor. Xia requests a retraction, and says he reserves the right to bring a libel suit against Hu if no such retraction is forthcoming.