(2005-03-14) -- The People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese communist dictatorship, announced today that it would merge with the Washington Post, to publish "an accurate newspaper of global significance called The Wa-Po Daily."

Washington Post Managing Editor Philip Bennett will oversee news-gathering operations for The Wa-Po Daily, under the guidance of "an unnamed committee of Chinese truth advocates."

The first hints of the media marriage emerged from an interview Mr. Bennett granted to People's Daily correspondent Yong Tang, in which the veteran American newsman drew no moral distinction between the Chinese and American expressions of democracy and accused the Bush administration of lying and limiting freedom of the press.

Mr. Bennett said his job is to hold the U.S. government accountable, but that the Chinese government shouldn't be "completely open just because American journalists want them to become more open."

An unnamed spokesman for the People's Daily said, "The Bennett interview convinced us of the obvious synergies between our organizations."

The Wa-Po Daily will use the same editorial staff and policies as the old Washington Post.

"However," Mr. Bennett said, "the association with The People's Daily, one of the world's most influential media operations, offers enhanced credibility to all of us and an expanded market for our brand of truth-telling news."

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