News anchor Luo Jing dies at 48

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Luo Jing

Luo Jing (罗京), who co-anchored CCTV’s Network News program for two decades, passed away this morning at the age of 48.

Luo was diagnosed with lymphoma last May, and his condition was made public in September following his final Network News appearance on August 31, 2008.

Today’s news follows reports of his death earlier this year:

On April Fool’s Day this year, rumors circulated online that Network News anchor Luo Jing had died. Reporters visited the Beijing Tumor Hospital, where doctors said that Luo had been discharged from the hospital two months before, and that his illness was not as serious as had been imagined. A CCTV spokesperson said that Luo was resting at home, and that the April Fool’s joke was sheer nonsense; if all goes well, Luo would have no problem returning to Network News within the year.

Here’s a clip of part of a 1988 Network News broadcast, re-run by CCTV News to mark Luo’s passing:

In addition to his news-reading, Luo frequently performed on CCTV specials, to the delight of audiences who were used to his sober, emotionless delivery. Here’s a clip of Luo performing a selection from the Peking Opera Ganlu Temple:

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