AKIPRESS.COM - Four Chinese journalists have been suspended after inadvertently – and incorrectly – announcing the resignation of president Xi Jinping.

A typographical error in the opening sentence of a report about Xi’s recent tour of Africa meant that instead of informing readers about a “speech” (zhi ci) given by China’s commander-in-chief, reporters referred to his resignation (ci zhi).

The story was published on Friday by the official China News Service and subsequently reprinted, before being corrected, by a number of leading websites, The Guardian reported. 

Among those reportedly punished for the gaffe was Song Fangcan, the news agency’s bureau chief in South Africa, where Xi had been speaking at the end of an five-day visit to the continent.