BEIJING – China’s Internet regulator said on Monday it will send an investigation team to Chinese search leader Baidu Inc over the death of a university student, who had used the search engine to look for treatment for his cancer.

Wei Zexi, 21, died last month of a rare form of cancer.

He had turned to Baidu to look online for the best place for treatment, finding a department under the Second Hospital of Beijing Armed Police Corps which offered an experimental form of treatment that ultimately failed, according to state media.

Before dying, Wei had posted criticism online accusing Baidu of promoting false medical information, as well as the hospital for misleading advertising in claiming a high success rate for the experimental treatment, state radio said.

“Wei’s family says they trusted the treatment because it was promoted by one of the military hospitals which are considered credible, and the attending doctor had appeared on many mainstream media platforms,” state radio said.

The regulator said in a short statement Wei’s case had attracted widespread attention on the Internet.

It, along with the health ministry and State Administration for Industry and Commerce, would investigate Baidu over the case and “handle it in accordance with the law” and publicise its findings.

Baidu said in a statement it deeply regretted Wei’s death and sent its condolences to his family.

“Baidu strives to provide a safe and trustworthy search experience for our users, and have launched an immediate investigation of the matter,” it said.

The company added it welcomed the investigation and would fully cooperate.

Reuters was not able to reach the hospital for comment.

Baidu has been in trouble before for medical related issues.

This year, it was criticised for selling management rights for an online forum related to haemophilia to an unlicensed private hospital, which then used the platform for self-promotion and deleted comments that challenged its credentials, the official Xinhua news agency said.

In 2010, China’s state-run television accused Baidu of promoting counterfeit drugs through its search engine.

HONG KONG – Hundreds of protesters gathered Monday outside the headquarters of a Hong Kong newspaper where a respected editor was recently sacked after publishing a front-page story linked to the Panama Papers leak.

Around 300 reporters, activists and members of the public rallied over the firing of Keung Kwok-yuen, saying it was further evidence of deteriorating press freedoms in the semi-autonomous city as Beijing tightens its grip.

Keung was sacked overnight last month from investigative newspaper Ming Pao, whose former chief editor was stabbed by masked attackers in the street two years ago.

His sacking coincided with the paper publishing a front-page story linking top Hong Kong businessmen and politicians to new revelations from the Panama Papers.

The trove of documents, released in April by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, has exposed how Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca helped China’s rich and powerful funnel their wealth into tax havens.

“The public is very concerned over press freedoms in Hong Kong. We have been doing a good job… covering a lot of news including sensitive political issues such as human rights in China,” said Phyllis Tsang, head of the newspaper’s staff association.

“We demand a clear explanation (from the management) on the real reasons for the firing of Mr. Keung. Was there any relation to this kind of reporting?” Protesters sat on the ground outside Ming Pao’s offices Monday afternoon.

One banner read: “They can’t fire us all.” Some also held up pieces of ginger – which sounds “Keung”, the editor’s surname, in Cantonese.

“Hong Kong is a unique place in China where there is freedom of the press… Such freedoms could deteriorate if the bosses bow to pressure,” said reader Stanley Ng, 55, an urban planner, who had joined the protest.

Lawmaker Emily Lau of the Democratic Party warned Beijing was “exerting a lot of pressure on media and many news organisations are willing to comply”.

“Hong Kong people have to stick together to defend editorial independence,” she said.

Reporters have said the decision to sack Keung was taken by Malaysian chief editor Chong Tien Siong, who is seen as pro-Beijing.

Chong was brought in two years ago to replace veteran investigative journalist Kevin Lau as chief editor, triggering protests by newspaper staff.

Soon after, Lau was stabbed in broad daylight leaving him severely wounded, sparking major concerns over reporting freedoms.