ON THE ONE HAND, THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES in Beijing insist that they have conducted "intensive" and "active communication" with newsstands operators as well as the local newspaper and periodical retail company, the legal proprietor of the facilities, before "moving and changing" the 72 street-side kiosks in Chaoyang district. And that "most" operators had "agreed in principle".

On the other hand, neither the operators, nor the owner of the demolished newsstands subscribe to the theory that there has been adequate consultation. Some operators say they saw their kiosks "forcefully demolished" merely hours after they had been verbally notified. The retail company said it had not received any written notice whatsoever.

Obviously one party in the dispute has been dishonest. But who?